Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-07-13
MARKS THE FLOW OF BLOOD
New Demonstration of the CircuIs-
ton of the Vital Fluid.

A scientific contrivance, very nov,
and curious, has been acquired by tn
United States bureau of education, an
some of the things 1t does are extrem,
ly interesting. 1t proves the correct
ness of the theory that the blood flow
to the brain when one thinks hard, an
II also demonstrates the fact that til
vital fluid flows out OF the head AM
toward the feet when one is asleep.
The instrument is kind of balance
provided with a shallow trough six fee
long, on which you lie down at full
length. This trough is accurately pois
ed after the manner of seeSaw, but Il
adjusted In such way after you hay,
occupied 1t as to be perfectly horizon
tai. That is merely u matter of ar
ranging few screws, and you are In {
| position to await further proceedings.
Next you are told to think of YOU
plans for the following day. and yol
turn your mind TO that subject, which
necessarily requires some work by the
brain machinery. Lo, almost immedi
ately the end of the trough where YOU
head rests begins to descend and gently
and gradually it lowers itself until yOul
body is inclined at considerable angle
with your feet up In the air. 1t is the
blood flowing to the brain to assist
mental activity that has upset the bal
ance and weighed down the head OF the
apparatus.
For long time 1t has been supposed
that thinking caused the blood to flow
to the brain, but until now the fact has
not been proved. This machine dem
Onstrates 1t.
But another thing, equally interest
ing in its way, is beautifully shown by
the continuance, and that is the empty
ing of the blood from the brain during
sleep. Indulge in nap as you lie in
the trough, and as soon as you fall
asleep the end on which your feet rest
will slowly descend. The same thing
happens II when thus situated you are
put into hypnotic condition.
1t used to be supposed that sleep was
a result OF the departure Of the blood
from the brain, but now 1t is known
that the latter phenomenon is only in
cidental. When the brain is in a Quies-
cent state, its operations going on only
in a very feeble sort Of way, as is the
case during sound slumber, the vital
fluid flows out Of 1t toward the feet,
leaving the mental apparatus in tenn
porarily bloodless condition.
The machine is In the office of DR..
Arthur Macdonald, who Is attached
to the bureau of education In the ca
pacity Of professional wizard, as one
might say. His official quarters are
filled with all sorts of mystical instru.
ments for the study of matters con
corning you and me about which ordl-
nary folks do not think at ALL In con.
nectiOn with the machine just describ
ed, he has rugged up an apparatus for
observing the rapidity Of the heart beat
in various attitudes. A little affair |
called "cardiometer' Is placed over |
the heart and is Joined through the me |
dunn Of a rubber tube with a slowly |
revolving drum. The drum Is covered !
with a sheet Of white paper and a pei
automatically makes mark on the
paper every time the heart of the per
son lying In the trough beats.
In this manner a continuous record |
is inscribed upon the paper sheet, anC
many experiments have proved thai
the heart of a person lying horizontally
beats at the slowest rate. If lie is in.
clined toward the perpendicular at al
angle Of As degrees, the organ pulsates
more rapidly, and 1t beats fastest when
he is standing erect. The reason il
simply that the heart is obliged &c
work harder when the individual Is
erect in order to overcome gravity and
drive the blood up to the head. In the
position 1t has the least la.
Dor to perform. This, indeed, is one
important reason why the doctor sends
you to bed when you are sick-so that
your heart may take a rest.-Boston
Herald