The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-27

may consciously think under the influence.
perhaps, of his memory.
The study of human beings to which
Harvard laboratory has devoted so large
part Of its energies is perhaps no more in
teresting than the newer phase Of this work
in experimental psychology, now only In its
third year the study of animal psychology.
which has been conducted by experiments
on turtles, nevis, frogs, fishes and pigeons.
Man as he exists to-day, is creature of
evolution, and to understand his physical
construction it has proved necessary to
trace back bones, muscles and nerves TO
their earliest appearance in simplest form
in the lowest animals. So it is with the
mental functions, which are so much more
complicated than the functions of any 9TH
er part of the body. Most persons. however,
will be glad to know that none of these ex-
periments at Harvard is such to require
the practice of vivisection. All refer only
to the sensations. feelings. memories. in
stincts and habits of well-cared-for, normal
living animals which are kept in the best
of condition and are subject only to mild
restraint during the time Of their captivity,
so that Professor Muensterberg was able
recently to say: 81 emphasize again that all
past and planned for the future are without
any pain, almost without discomfort for
the animals to be used"
THE FROG AND TURTLE.
Among recent lines Of study have been
the memory and perceptive faculties of the
frog and the turtle, the training of new
habits in the crayfish. and the symptoms of
memory in the newt. OF these the ones in
the most extensive and the most popularity
Interestingly only because Of Aesop and
his followers down to Joel Chandler Harris
and the knights OF Uncle Remus. Both
animals are fixed in the imagination of
mankind, and all grown-up children will be
glad to learn that the verdict of the CEN
turtles on the comparative judgment and
wisdom Of the turtle is confirmed by the
exact methods of modern science.
In the first place, before making COMPARE
sons, 1t became necessary to determine
whether these lowly creatures had any fac
ulty of memory at all and this required a
special apparatus-handily put together
from dry goods boxes. In one box called the
nest were cool sand and stones. well
shaded with a board-a true haven for
rest-seeking creature. Against it stood an
other box. with a single opening commune
eating. This second box was divided into
series of long and comparatively narrow
compartments by means Of sliding pieces
through the bottom of each of which
small opening-or miniature dog hole
had been cut. By spacing the openings at
different intervals something like a maze
was obtained. The subject of the expert
ment, turtle frog, was put in the COM
partment furthest from the nest and then
watched, recorded, and timed as he worked
up and down, back and forth, until he had
finally made his way to the resting place
The first time he would discover it, prob
ably, by accident; but afterwards the func-
ton of memory would. influence the result.
Ample intervals of rest were allowed be-
tween each test, perhaps an hour two.
to avoid fatiguing the little subjects. The
first journey might require an hour; but in
the fiftieth experiment the turtle frog
would fairly scamper TO his haven, and
even a shifting of the position of the little
doors failed in time to throw them out
Again, when inclined platforms, runways,
and blind alleys were introduced. the little
creatures still continued TO learn. Allowed a
rest for a day, for several days, and then
for longer interval, traces Of memory re-
NAMED, strengthening with each expert
ence-the turtle, however, coming out first
throughout, with the nimble frog the less
nimble-witted.
NEEDED BY TEACHERS.
If there were space one might go on in
definitely with these experiments with ami
mails. like the memory Of the frog for color
TO determine which another~maze was used,
with glass or colored slides with which the
subject was to familiarize himself-or the
faculty of memory in goldfish or nevis. But
instead of enumerating further the labor of
the work, it is better in closing to look for
q moment to its general aspect.
How can the teacher" says a recent au-
thor, rightly train the minds of youth. if
he does not understand the structure of
mental acts. how can the preacher influence
the spiritual life. how can the statesman
understand social needs, if he has never
taken the pains TO comprehend the laws
and the phenomena of mind? And there is
no danger that the highest dignity of our
mental life will suffer injury from this
study, or that our moral strength and our
aesthetic treasures will be destroyed when
science shall teach US how 10 understand
even the most subtle processes of our soul
life Just as the admiration of nature be-
comes constantly more intense the deeper
natural science penetrates. so will mental
life grow I'm dignity the better we learn TO
comprehend it. And shall l, In conclusion.
be silent over the unreasonable sisnihcanes