The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-12-04
THE HUMAN BRAIN
Its CrumpIed Up Shape Is One of
Natures Clever Devices.
CELLS OF THE GRAY MATTER.
Their Mass and Not the Size Nor
Weight of tho Brain Marks tho Mem
tally of tho ndividusl-Develop-
ment of the Brain Of an Infant.

Weight of tho Brain Marks the Mem
tally Of tho Northumberland
ment of the Brain Of an Infant.
The apparent crumpling up OF the
brain Is one OF the most remarkable OF
natures devices for securing the great
est possible amount of surface In the
given space. If you take a page OF
newspaper and hold 1t by the edges.
blowing II up to form a balloon, you
have the surface OF the paper occupy
ing the largest possible amount OF
space. II you crumple up the paper
you can get the same amount OF sur
face by following all the creases In
one-fourth 10 one tenth OF the space.
This is precisely what nature has done.
In the rabbit. for instance. the cere-
brum. or great brain. with which most
of the thinking Is done. IL without a
crease. perfectly round and smooth.
and the rabbit Is about the stupidest
of animals.
II you study the brains OF animals
little higher In intelligence than the
rabbit you will 6nd that creases come
into the brain until lp man the entire
brain Is series OF creases and convo-
buttons that puzzle you by their intr-
cacy. II is plain that the actual sur
face OF this creased brain OF man Is
many times greater than II II were all
smooth. like the rabbits. and this is |
the way In which evolution has pro
vided for giving the brain of man a |
surface from four 10 ten times what IL |
would have been II smooth. 80 as TO |
give space for as much gray matter as
possible
No scientist has yet explained the
reason. but the fact Is admitted that
thought and gray matter are In proper
ton. The cells uf the gray matter
seem TO store up thought and give II
out when called upon TO do so. This
has been proved by electrically stimu-
iating the gray matter when exposed
by an accident or operation and noting
the result Ia the thoughts expressed by
the patient This gray matter is spread
In coat OF varying thickness all over
the suface of the brain. while the
white matter and nerves lie under II
and ramify into It.
A man may be said to be intellectual
In proportion to the amount OF gray
matter which be has In his brain. This
varies In individuals. one having more
gray mater at one spot. another
thicker layer at another. much OF this
being doubtless due to cultivation
though the laws of the multiplication
OF gray matter are stIll secrets which +,
science has not pierced.
Nor can intellectually DO measured
By the weight OF the brain. The aver
age male brain weighs forty eight
ounces. and the average female brain
forty three and a half. but this does :
not mean that woman Is necessarily J
mans inferior intellectually. Her brain +
may have more gray matter In pro- [
portion or thicker layers at the parts 5
most In demand by her llfe. Brains c
weighing more than sixty ounces have t
been found In idiots. and some OF the 0
most brilliant men and women have Z
had very small brains when put upon e
the scale. But 10 all cnses OF great
the depth OF the con !
AT certain places In the brain 4
q enormous. and the Eve lobes into ii
which each hemisphere OF the brain G
= divided are very distinctly marked. h
Ifrording sps % for much OF the gray o
natter Ii
The infant has gray matter all over a
he surface OF Its brain. and thanks to :,
he generations or development that !.
rave preceded II the divisions into :,
obes and the deep creases are already =
here. But they are still in very soft :,
orm and development follows In ac-
ordance with the intellectual develop Ii
nent OF the child Its natural endow- tc
nent at birth is only an endowment Ell
4 possibility. and the question of tc
that infant will be an intel. pr
rctnal giant or plgmy In brain W
over Is dependent almost altogether y
pom the training which II receives ~
nd the development of the gray mat -
er In its brain ~
The genius cannot be explained and as
oSslbly never will be. but partial ex. te
lanation of his tremendous power In dc
ome one direction is offered by the al
Nahhthduoh " uls nr1iu uiteT uedtu "
'nly lately a very eminent surgeon OF y
died and when bis brain OF
las examined It was found that for VI "
large part II WAS like n child's. but in ~
hose parts especially required by his -
Il was developed far more = :
nan is usual. and the layers OF gray ne
latter at these spots were lnordlnate- ao
! thick II Is never right TO draw any tn
road conclusion from a single in ap
lance. bur science has generalized su
-om many instances OF this kind until eX
IL ready now 10 say that thought an
over Is proportionate to the gray av
Iatter in the centers most used or p
York World. ~.
ex
John Bull the Musician.