Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-05
The First Scientific
Warfare on Insanity.


4 then substitute silver plate, This mas
! no@ been done in many cases, WIN y
| striking number ofrestorahons 10 com :
lsplete sanity.
/; But now surgeons are working on q
| still more astounding theory. which Is
| certain to receive attention at the
newly endowed Phipps Hospital. The
| theory shifts the cause of insanity
| from Tile brain to the hlood.
Experiments have shown that the
blood is the most hereditary thing a
| bout man The possibility Of analyzine
the blood has demonstrated that II
is the most distinctive thing about the
human race While some Of his bones
and much of his tissue may resemble
that Of the animal kingdom, his blood
is absolutely distinctive. i is like moth
Ing else in the world. The man with a
microscope can pick IL out nfallibiy
from a hundred specimens OF gore,
either fresh oagulated pr dried.
No anatomical Investigation, inicr-
ecopic or otherwise, has awaited to
show the least difference in the con-
dition of the brain cell or fiber Of
person dying insane or the healthy
brain of n person dying in an accident.
The same absence of brain changes is
noticeable in the whole class of inn
&portant nervous chronic diseases. such
as migrane. IpauraSthefit. etc. No post
,nortem on the brain of q person suf-
fering from any of these diseases irl-
dictates the least difference in the con-
dition of the brain.
With any diseases that affect the
other vital organs of the body the raw
ages OF the diseases can instantly be
detected Holes in the lungs show the
presence of tuberculosis, hardening of
the liver testifies that overindulgence
IN liquor has done its dread work,
holes In the intestines testify the dread
f,,J ,FF NJ r1,ritOpitjg heart disease
produces unmistabable symptoms on
the organ that does the blood pumping.
But the brain tissue shows nothing 10
Indicate the mental disqualification
of the deceased.
This has led to the interesting theory.
now held by many noted experts, that
insanity is a disease of the blood and
not the BRAIN.
They present tho argument that tho
most nawless piece of machinery is
calueIess without the fuel that drives
it, and SO no matter how perfect the
brain, in shape and size, 1T Is of no
value to its owner, unless the right
Kind OF blood be pumped through it,
SEARCH FOR GERM OF MADNESS.
In the case of Thaw. his whole life
was given to one revel, the, character
of his food, his drink, and the effect
on the blood of his other habits meant
that he was constantly circulating
through the delicate . mechanism
OF his brain Il flood of polluted. vitiateo
food. Eventually it must have af-
fected the working Of the organ, just
the same as the injection of a quality
Of gasoline in the motor Of a fine
automobile will lead to deposits of
carbon and other chemical impurities
that will eventually render the ma
| chlnery useless.
Experiments are now being made
with the idea Of discovering the germ
OF insanity in the blood. Then by the
same process that has banished the
dread of diphtheria, for instance, the
I development of IL serum that will be
an antidote, the ravages of insanity
| will be amazingly reduced.
| Tho Phipps bequest will give an ad :
| mirable chance for extended expert
! ment along this line, the first ade-
| quate opportunity yet presented in this
country, and eventually it may mean
as much to the happiness of the world
| as the institution directed to fighting
| culosis.-Record- Herald.