Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-08-21
OUR COMPLEX BRAIN
HOW NERVE MESSAGES ARE CON-
VeYED TO AND FROM IT.

IL Is n signal Box Which Records
and Transmits All SensatiOn-Self
Control the Key to Preserving Its
Equilibrium.
The science Of medicine is year after
rear becoming more and more perfect.
Its diagnoses are more reliable, and its
method Of treatment is more rational.
Although the brain is the chief part
of the animal man, yet there are many
things about the brain which scientists
have not yet fathomed.
But great strides have been made in
that knowledge which has only within
recent years been discovered and which
reveals to us what the Uranium really
contains. Shelving what has gone be-
fore and what has been taught as med
ical law, the following interesting data
on how the brain works are now what
is accepted at the present time as the
correct theory:
The cerebrum-frOnt and top-is the
date source Of all our mental action.
The gray matter Of the outer surface is
made up Of layers Of nerve cells. These
are the thinking centers. Experiments
have clearly demonstrated that each
convolution has n special function, and
II destroyed it cannot be replaced.
1t has also been found that the left
side of the brain is more active than
the right.
How has that been found out? Well.
II an epileptic commences a fit by
twitching the right thumb or hand one
would find its cause In Its nerve center
on the left side of the brain. 1t is only
within the past few years that medical
men are now able to make map Of the
surface Of the brain according to the
various functions performed.
All Impressions received from the
outer world. whether through the me-
dunn Of sight, smell. hearing. taste or
touch. are carried direct to the surface
Of the brain and recorded In the brain
cells of their respective areas. while
all movements are the result Of i'm
pulses from the cells In the different
motor areas.
Now, there are five large sensory
areas in the make up Of the brain.
First. sight. which Is the largest, at
the back Of the brain. Smell, taste and
hearing have their positions at the side
Of the head In the temporal (temples)
region and inner surface. Touch has
its domicile at the top Of the brain.
while the large motor giving notion
area takes up the bulk Of the middle
brain.
These IRE so splendidly arranged by
nature that the motor cells Of the lips
are in front. then those Of the hand,
arm and so on to the foot. To give
you an example how the sensory and
motor nerves work: II you touched
anything hot or sharp. the impression
would be conveyed to the sensory area
along the nerves connected with It.
The sensory cell which received the
message would Immediately communi-
cate with the motor cells to pull your
hand away.
Why Is it easier to remember an OBJ
ject than, say, mathematical formula
or poem? The reason of this Is that
whereas the former has impressions
stamped on several brain centers, such
as sight, touch. smell. taste and the
rest. the latter are stamped on centers
which are not nearly 50 retentive as
the former.
In repeating poetry. for instance. 1t
Is the sound Of the last line which
suggests the next line, but an object
presents itself to the brain centers
concerned Immediately. You know an
apple or an orange when you see 1t
because you are aided In Distinguishing
1t by a set Of centers which are not
only more numerous. but quicker In
perception. Though poetry is revived
in the sight and sound centers, it is
not 80 well fixed there as in the other
case. because 1t calls up fewer cen
tiers.
An apple. for instance, Is stamped
twice in the optic center. once as a
green fruit and once as the printed
word. There Is an optic word center
and a pictorial or Photographic center.
The poem is only stamped in the for
mer, as Of course 1t Is not an object
which can be pictorially represented.
The brain Is nothing less than a big
album Of photographs and other SEN
sorry Impressions. The prefrontal region
may be compared to q registry Office
where certain records are kept. In the
brain that particular part Is the start
Ing place for the memory. II we wish
to recall a subject the stimulus must
pass to the prefrontal or registry Office
OF the brain, whence the stimulus Is
sent to the brain cells containing the
sensations to be recalled. 1t Is like a
signal box on railway.
Now, unless your blood be in good
order the active life of the brain will
be affected. Blood Is the nourishing
agent, and II 1t be Of a poor kind the
work 1t does in the way of nourishment
will be of a worthless character practi-
cally. Poor blood Is an enemy Of the
brain. but happily it is not 80 disas-
trous foe as worry. In that you have
the real enemy Of the brain. Worry
discrepancies the machinery Of the
brain and mind and is little inferior to
shock. which usually paralyzes both.
Worry causes irregular nerve action.
and II 1t be continuous 1t produces a
confusion Of ideas. This depresses the
cells Of the brain, and the usual result
Is If there is no abatement In the worry
complete failure Of the brains action
and consequent mental disturbance.
Self control Is the key to preserving
the equilibrium Of the brain and to
isaka Ax,ix, to Il