Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-10
UNRELIABLE SENSES.
Mistakes Made by Organs in Conveying
Impressions to Brain.

Nothing is so unreliable as the "eVi-
dence of our Senses. Which used to be
thought conclusive. The five organs for
conveying impressions to the brain are
mechanical and slipshod while the mas
ter in the citadel often confuses the
meaning of reports and draws cOnclu-
sions that are entirely incorrect. II
Wouli seem as if the sense servants of
ted deliberately shirked their duty and
n" brain Eer.istently harbored delu-
sionS when aware of their nature
More raen deceive themselves and to n
greater extent than We're ever quilted
by professional swindlers.
If we cross the middle and forefin-
gers and place a pea between them, we
get the impression of touching two
PEAS. The fingers crossed and passed
over the tip of the nose convey to the
NINA the notion that we have a double
nasal apDnndage. Lawyers are aware
that no two eyewitnesses will give pre-
cisely the same account of an event
because each derives his own pec,,iia,
sense Impressions and makes deduc-
tionS Whcn are dependent on his men
tai limitations. The mechanical habit
of the sense organs is illustrated by
the llne"r and pea experiment. are
lot used t. touching objects with our
fingers crossed. Ordinarily the messa-
S"S to the brain are conveyed in
straight and regular routes and tho
crossing Of the nerve lines has an effect
like that of short circuited electric
",res In this case it is apparent that
TIE brain which intcrprets ard not the
oroup at fa,lt
When man has his leg amputated
he often complains OF pain in the toes
of tn" missing limb. In one case the
patient. felt very strongly the pain OF
a troublesome corn which had beer on
a toe Of his amnutated foot. Another
patient remarked to his doctor: Il am
more~sure of the leg which isn't than
the one | have" The explanations is
that the impre ssions which were won't
to he received from the missing limb
passed in definite nerve channels to a
d"tinitc area i'll the brain. The impress
sion Is transmitted from the enc of
the shortened nerve. which formerly
corrected with such things as toes and
cGrnS, but the brain center has not
acquired tho power Of locaizing it in
tltc stump A similar case is illustrat-
ed when patient who has had a de-
lectivc rose patcne,; by a flap of fore
hoaC skin feels that his forehead is
t"u, led when the nose is tickled.
A curious optical illusion is presented
ny 4 face in a picture. The eyes appear
to follow the spectator from whatever
direction the picture is viewed. The
brain plays q certain part in assisting
this deception of sight. The painting
being on lat surface. presents to the
eye of the spectator a front view of the
object orly, and this in whatever DO
sltlon he may Stand. The brain trans
latcS the continuous front view into the
lllGsion Of the moving eye There is a
picture in which the m"Zzle Of a gun
IS so trained that it appears to point
directly at the Spectator in whichever
position he may stand. Here the only
view Of the painting is that which we
should see if we directly faced it, The
brain makes no allowance for the flat
ness of the painting and for the per-
>istent front view it places before the
spectator.-Chambers' Journal.