Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-16
THE GLUT OF THE SUPER
FLUOUS
Bv DR.. Frank Crane

The increasing tendency in certain scien-
tific quartz to regard the ductless glands
as the chief determinants of character is not
without the support of experimental evidence.
Any one reading with an unprejudiced mind
such book as Berman's "The Glands Regu-
lating Personality must concede this
But, as Berman himself makes very clear.
gland action in it's turn is affected by fac
rs other han the innate strength or weak
ness of the various glands. Thus we find
him remarking, in tn course of descr1p-
ton of the glands, as constituting the essen
ton nature of man and giving every man his
start in life:
"Afterward food, the routine Of his ex-
istence, the accidents of experience, educa-
ton, disease, and misfortune-in short en-
virOnment-modify him because they modify
his ductless glands and his vegetative ap-
paratus as we'll as his BRAIN
Obviously, if the environment enters to de-
termine the action of the ductless glands, en-
vironment must be accepted as somewhat
superior to the glands as personality
forming factor And another point which en-
doctrine devo 2es tend to overlook is the in
fluence exercised on the glands by intellec-
tual and emotional habits.
The adrenals, to recall, are regarded as the
courage-developing glands. Strong adrenals
are represented as productive of bravery and
aggressiveness. And the thyroid, likewise, is
held to determine such traits as are summed
up in the words energetic, alert, and vigorous.
one-sided. There is always an interaction.
And just as bodily conditions are known to
affect mental states, SO do mental states
have an affective influence on all the bodily
organism.
Suppose, then, that faulty training in early
life establishes habi: of timidity, coupled
with a habitually uninterested life attitude.
Will this be without effect on the function
ing of the adrenals and the thyroid?
On the con AIRY, it may have most detri-
mental effect. Experiments such as those
made at Harvard University by Professor w.
B. Cannon few years ago go to show that,
in the case of the adrenals, habitual fear
attitude means an over-stimulation of the
glands, with an entual weakening.
Similarly, in the case of the thyroid, there
is reason to believe that training rather
than Unborn thyroid deficiency is responsible
for much of the laziness and apathy evident
among men. Certainly, we know that serious
thyroid disease, involving thyroid overtime
tioning, may have it's origin in faulty mental
and emotional states-else thyroid disease
would not be durable, as it sometimes is, by
psychic means alone.
In other words, the old saying, GAS man
thinks, so is he,'' remains true today, not
withstanding the discoveries and the claims
Of endocrine enthusiasts. If the manner Of a
mans thinking is frequently traceab1e to the
way his glands work, the working of the lat
ter may be just truly traceable to the man
ner Of the thinking
ana because OF the cOndltlOnlng effects OF
environment, training, habit, etc., people GER
tainly should not take too seriously the en-
docrinists' idea that they may some day have
it in their power to regulate arbitrarily the
development of personality.
Copyright, 1922, by The Associated News
papers.)
Enrico Caruso once said at a dinner in
New York: "In my youth in Naples
once took part in some amateur theatricals
at the Bertolini Palace hotel-in the fine
large hotel salon, you know, with it's out
look over the bay and islands The hotel
orchestra, very good one, had a great
deal to do in our drama. At one point it
had to play a very lovely selection, in the
midst of which I was to rush in, hold up
my hand, and say in a shocked, heart
broken tone: Stop the music! The queen
is dead Well, the evening of our per-
Torrance the orchestra outdid itself
never heard it play more passionately, more
beautifully. But for me, I was very nerv-
/ Gus, and when I rushed in and held up my
hands the words I shouted in my confusion
were: Stop the music! 1t has killed the
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