The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-05-23


the Bible, which he was able to do as
well as ever. Ned knew him at once
and nodded and gurgled.
''Well, Ned, how are you feeling?"
inquired Winton, sitting down by the
bedside.
Burns understood perfectly, but the
flood of meaningless syllables that
poured from his throat conveyed no
sense whatever. 1t was evident that
Burns was desperately anxious to tell
something, and that he felt his position
keenly.
Winton saw, too, that the old man
was not quite certain whether his re-
marks conveyed any meaning or not.
and he looked at him so hopefully
when he had finished speaking that
Winton could hardly bear to let him
realize the truth. But Burns did
realize 1t, and two tears trickled down
his cheeks upon the open book.
Winton produced a sheet of paper
and a pencil, and handed them to Ned,
who, resting the Bible on his knee. be-
gan to scribble with this as a backing
! for the sheet.
He handed the result to Winton, but
hopelessly, for he could read that he
had written nonsense. 1t consisted of
a number of words and syllables.
strung together, but without the small
est intelligent significance. Suddenly
Ned snatched away the paper and tore
1t into pieces, and flung himself back
moodily upon his pillow.
The doctor. young graduate from
Edinburgh, had seen the incident. He
drew Winton away.
His minds clear" said Winton.
"As clear as yours or mine"
"And he understands what is said TO
him."
Every word"
whats the trouble then~
"The speech and writing centers in
the brain are affected" answered the
doctor. "We have them marked out
very accurately, you know. l expected
this before Burns recovered conscious
ness, as soon as 1 saw the location of
the wound"
"Bone pressing on them?"
"No. If there were l should have
operated. The blow on the head rup-
tured an artery, and the rush of blood
destroyed some of the brain tissues"
"Will he get well?"
"You see," he explained, "every ac-
quired human faculty has its area in
the brain. Not the moral character, as
the laity are apt to think. A man !
isn't truthful, or brave. or generous |
because he has bumps as the |
phrenologists suppose. But what we
learn in life is stored up and repro
duced when needed in certain definite |
quarters. In rare cases one of these |
storehouses may be destroyed say by |
a blow strong enough to rupture the
brain tissue without destroying the
vital centers. Then the corresponding
faculty is unable to express itself.
Now the speech center Is one of the
the most important, and we have it
mapped out exactly. Every human
being speaks by means Of a little tract
called Broca's convolution There's a
reading center and a writing center,
center, Anticipating
and Sc on. It's just
like putting a series OF telephones into
a street of houses. There's even a
French center and German center.
brain of the lingujst. And if you
smash one particular telephone, OF
course nothing can come through.
Burns has had his speaking and
writing centers smashed. In the case
IF a very young person there would be
nope of recovery, because We use only
half of our brains. Most of us use the
eft half. A child. whose left speak
ng center had been destroyed. could
construct a new center in the I'M
Used right half of its brain. That's
because its brain is so plastic. But
hat can hardly be done after thirty.
md practically never after reaching
middle life. Why, you know yourself
hat 1t is impossible for a middle-aged
,erson to pick up a new language as
| child can. Well, Burns must be
ixty. His case is hopeless, though he !
viii be as well as ever physically in
little while"
That seemed to be the case. Burns '
vas recovering rapidly, but there was
10 sign of any return of the faculty of |
peech. Winton was greatly worried !
bout the old man; he went constantly :
o the hospital. and sent him all sorts i
f dainties. But he seldom stayed 7
ong at Neds bedside. The pathetic
onk in his eyes, the constant effort to {
onvey some meaning, and the Bible 5
assages, of which Winton could make
either head nor tail. were too dis I
ressing. I
1t had now become inevitable that
Vinton should approach Judge Davis y
n the subject of a loan. He braced h
imsslf to the invidiOus task and went h
D the judges office. '
He found Davis alone at his desk r
he old man looked up, nodded in a :
riendly way. as If nothing had passed. n
nd offered Winton a seat, which was. q
Owever, declined. n
swell. my dear friend, l have
bought that l should see you soon" II