Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-01-17
Well, Well

A dispatch is now going the rounds
OF the press that Prof. Lombard, of
Ann Harbor, instructor of physiology
in the University OF Michigan, believes
that he has located the dwelling place
of the soul, and that too, in as narrow
a recess as the spinal column. He bases
his discovery" on experiments made
with frogs. He has demonstrated that
death OF the amphibian subject,
through the medium OF the BRAIN"
does not terminate control OF the
muscles. He calls this activity, rea-
son movements" and is engaged in
determination OF how far the treason.
ing" instinct may go.
The Professor removed the brain"
from frog. which was supposed to
end all animated life within its body.
1t was then suspended by the under
jaw, and an hour later drop of as
celtic acid (vinegar) was touched to the
foot, and Immediately the limb began
twitching. Twenty-four hours after
ward, the same action was produced,
the same way, and on this slim thread
the theory of soul-existsnce-reduced
to the bare materialistic idea of the
life sensation-is based. If the Pro-
lessor would take a silver of dry wood
and having bent it, lay it upon plane
surface and apply drop of water to
the sharp angle of the bend, he would
find that it will straighten out, with
more or less twitch," but anybody
would know that that action is pro.
duced by an expansion of the fibres OF
the wood from absorption OF moisture,
a much more rational solution of the
phenomenon than the Professor
adopts to account for the energy dis
played by the molecular disturbance
after set into activity by we'll known
laws OF chemical change in inanimate
substances. If, however, his exalted
position enables him to inculcate a
general belief that the seat of life, and
vitality OF the individual, the essential
part of the ego, entity or soul, is To-
Gated in the backbone instead of the
brain, depriving evolution of intelli-
gent direction and control, then in
deed must we give more than horrid
admiration to the frightful creation by
Mrs. Shelley of the monster Crank
enstein."
The very general superstition has
hitherto been that the soul was insep-
arably connected with the refined, ra-
tional, spiritual, immortal part of
man, that which enables him to think
and renders him a subject of moral
government; principle OF mental and
spiritual life; the part OF mans nature
which is specially characterized by the
attributes Of self.consciousness, con.
scious personal identity, reasoning
conscience and exercise of the higher
emotions; the spiritual nature incar-
nate, in which the brain was the CEN
ter force of sensation and perception.
If the soul-power of man, as of brute,
il to be attributed TO q spasmodic
movement of muscles after death,
OF reptile subject, it involves total
disruption of the aesthetic nature gene
rally attributed to the part OF man
supposed to be immortal, while it af-
lords An explanation of impulses that
at times control some people who
seem to be wholly destitute of the he.
lier principles of the higher life. In
other words, when we find anybody
who thinks there ought to be hell
specially created for punishment of
misdeeds Of some one of his neighbors,
he may, with the light thrown upon
the subject by the learned Professor,
understand that the impulse for evil
may be attributable 10 an obdurate
spine, destitute of reason, rather than
q spiteful brain, with perverted incli-
nations, and throw the mantle of char
ity over misdeeds for which the victim
il an innocent, irresponsible being. It
would be difficult to hold anybody to
account, however, for misdeeds, or
even crime, if science demonstrates
that the soul controls involuntary acts
Independently Of rational direction.