Evening star., 1928-05-13

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sight, hearing. taste, touch an,
smell--ray be in measure interchang
able, since they are identical at the foo
OF the ladder of evolution.
Evidences of an eighth and a nintl
sense, the latter intricately bound III
with the structure of the physical uni
verse, have been brought out III alb
oratory experiments.
Individuals who appear to be low
grade morons may require only
changed and special system of educa
tion to overcome their handicapS, ant
much apparent feeble -mindedneSs me!
be only an Illusion which science il
about to Shatter
These were among the highlightS oi
new knowledge thrown upon that mos
intricate and marvellous of the work
Of nature, the human brain and nervous
system. at the sessions here last weel
of the American Congress of Physicians
and Surgeons and its affiliated srcietieS
Of medical specialists.
venturing Into the Unknown.
Physicians are practical men, but in
their explorations of the inner man in
an effort to Ak the responsibility for his
bodily and mental shortcomings they
often venture quite close TO the border
line Of the mystical and come back with
exact knowledge.
The first stntement concerning the
potentialities Of the brain was made by
DR., Frederick Tilney, professor of neu-
rology at Columbia University. before
the American Neurological Society, In
connection with the first announce
ments of a scientific study cf the SEN
soriun. or consciousness. Of Miss Helen
Keller. He had set out TO find just
what the mechanism was that enabled
this remarkable woman, deaf, dumb and
blind practically since birth, not only to
hold her own in society, but to outdo
the majority of normal individuals In
the arts and sciences
There were absolutely no tmpres Sions
coming to Miss Keller's brain from
sight or hearing. She has spen: heI
life in void of utter darkness End
silence. But she was conscious of her
surroundings by means of the three
other external Senses-touch, taste and
smell. BY the intensive use of them
she has succeeded almost in compensat-
ing herself for the loss of the two upon
which normal people place their great
est dependence. With them she is able
- erjov flowers. music and conversation
She can go through flower garden
pass her fingers over the different bios
SONS. and tell what they are She can
c1s AlOilS Va q ADAQ SpCdhtT cElu J1tE
mood changes from gay to sad. accord
ing to the nature Of the music as II
comes to her by her recognition of the
tin'1S OF the sound waves against
her body. She can ride In an autono-
bile through the country and describe
accurately the nature of the scenery.
purely by the odors which come to her
End which are not noticed at all by Ter
companions.
A Question of Interpretation.
The world has wondered at Helen
Keller and has interpreted the phe-
non1enon in what has appeared to be
the common sense way. IT has assumed
that her senses of touch. taste and smell
must be enormously superior to that OF
the average person. So DR.. Tilney as
sunsed when he started his experiments.
He had before him the records of one
similar ease. that of the English girl
Laura Bridgeman Of whom @. Stanley
Fall had said that her sense of touch
was four times as acute as that Of the
normal person.
But greatly to his surprise he found
no such thing in his examination of
Miss Keller. He believes Hall probably
was misled by antiquated methods used
in his tests Of Miss Bridgeman. Helen
Kellegs senses Of touch. taste and smell
were just about average. II they di-
fered In any way II was to fall below
the normal When she passes her hands
over the blossoms In a flower garden
she feels no better than would anybody
else
what. then. is the answer? 1t is to
be found. said DR.. Tilney. almost en-
tirely inside the brain Of this remark
able individual She doesn't feel objects
more acuteiy, but she has a marvellous
ability, due largely TO infinite patience
and wise education, 70 interpret the
feeling which anybody would get by
running the fingers over the flowers and
the odoyg that would come 20 anybody s
nostyils while riding through the coun-
try She has developed to almost 100
per cent efficiency the potentiality Of
the human brain for interpreting touch
and almost as much for interpreting
door.
What IL the same powers were devel-
oped in the average brain? DR.. Tiiney
asks. What II all five senses were de-
yoioped 10 the degree Of efficiency TO
which she. under the stress Of neces-
sitY, has developed the sense Of touch
or rather Of interpreting form as ascer-
tanned by touch.
The Ninth Sense-Directi0n.
Or. Tiiney and DR.. Max A. Goldstein
of st. Louis. noted ear specialist an
nosHnced independently the discovery oi
the ninth senSe-tflat mysterious some.
thing which gives birds. insects and
some mammals their uncanny sense
Of direction and which exists TO 9
marked degree In certain humans
Possession Of II To notable extent
Or. GoIdgtein said. may explain the re-
Yaarkable success Of Col Lanonergh IN
finding his way over uniamiliar ianc c
and ocean, keeping on almost bee-linf
toward his destination. On the Other
hand. some do not have II at all.
Il r41vself." said Or. Goldstein," couic
get lost in a few blocks here in Wash.
DR. Tilney has gone step further
In the Investigation Of this ninth sense
and believed there is something mag
netic about IL. sg II IL were a compass
In the body the needle Of which va
constantly twisted toward the pole
re has ezperlnented with animals IL
roazes and finds that once they i1aV'
4 learned their lesson. they are able X
find their ways about with various rear
rsnzeuerts Of the passages 80 long ~
these % not effect the north and souti
direction. But once some alteration i
rnsdf In THIS respect the creatures oe
come hopelesslg lost and must be tauGh
the maze all over again.
Between the five well known externa
ssases and TINS newly discovered ntnu
Eeyse4 come three other senses wfliei
aye generally unfamiliar. The exist
eroe Of two internal ssnses~ahe sis
eersI and the body has been vel
eese 1IisEged by neuFoIogtsts The eight
sAo Is generally recognized, This
tie "ngrt" senge-~an obscure WaFnin
effect which pegyadfs the oody in N
Eresefee of extremes registered by tn
f5se external senses. such ss 100 great
csgfee of heat or cold or ; EepaislS
GcCr
Df Goldsteln deals largely with dea
children. many of whom appear IN
rllraaiH trilaas Led MIN 70 efforts 70 De