Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29

paralytic shock. On his face is con-
tinuous grin which every now and
then is intensified into chuckle re-
gardless of the circumstances. He is
ashamed of his disability. His face
Pushes. Tears roll down his face be-
cause of his disability. But all the
time that h-punctuated grin re-
laughs-because laughing is a function
Of the combined facial and respiratory
muscles and his brain has no voluntary
control over them.
A woman has just died at the hos
pital, it was explained, who in the same
way cried continuously, even when she
wanted to laugh. Crying is also q func-
ton of the same muscles when under
the control of the cerebral cortex.
Superficial examination of the dead
woman's brain has shown practically
no pathological condition but it has not
been dissected to uncover the nerve
tracts.
Another patient, once her fingers
had been closed on DR.. FTeeman's hand,
tried in vain to let go, although she
obviously wanted to. He had to exert
considerable strength to get his hand
free. Then he touched her with piece
Of ice from which she drew away, in
iicating considerable discomfort. Then
he placed 1t In her hand.
Does it feel good?" he asked.
ooh no, no, no." said the woman.
"Then drop it, DR.. Freeman said.
Couldn't Drop Ice.
But she couldn't. 1t was only after
an intense effort, lasting at least a
minute, that she finally could loosen
her grip. Somewhere in the path from
her motor cortex, from which comes
the impulse for voluntary movements,
and her fingers there Is a lesion. No
matter how much she wants to let go
of anything it makes no difference.
Three such patients were shown.
All had q common characteristic in
that the answer to any question was
delayed and finally came only after
long-drawn cry, described as an lex
plosive effect" It was very hard to get
the motor cortex where one wills" to
talk and the muscles of the tongue
and larynx working in Coordination.
Such cases. DR.. Freeman explained,
may have a bearing on the prolonged
crying of infants who, once started,
can't stop easily although they may
have nothing further to cry about be-
cause the tracts from the cortex to the
throat and face muscles are imperfect
~ developed. The difference between
laughing and crying, he said, appears to
be that in the former there is long in
spiration and quick, explosive respira-
ton, while in the latter the respiration
is exactly the opposite. The respiratory
muscles controlling these acts are asso-
ciated closely with the facial muscles.
whose changes cause the characteristic
expressions Of joy or sadness.
Living Organs Shown.
a. A. |.aorrrato,,r, TTotyars;tv, r1,xe;
illogical laboratory the visiting physi-
clans were shown the internal organs of
a kit completely removed and freed
from all nerves and muscles yet still
"alive." The longest 1t can be expected
to remain alive, according to DR.. j.
Markowitz, professor of physiology, who
performed the marvelously delicate sur
gical operation, Is about IL hours. It is
given a new arterial blood TRANSMISSION
every two hours, and kept at tempera-
ture slightly greater than body tenn
perature. The act of breathing, which
In the living kitten would be under
nervous control, is duplicated by
stream of compr ssed air continuously
pumped into the lungs, but interrupted
BY a rotating machine. This keeps the
heart going, continuously pumping
blood through tn organs. Essentially
the act of breathing is duplicated, the
rotating machine cutting across Jne
stream of compressed air taking the
place of the breathing mechanism OF
the nervous system.
BY perfecting the technique Of this
experiment Dr. Markowitz expects to
have a means of studying the effects OF
various drugs on the viscera uncom-
plicated by the actions of the nerves
and muscles Already he has made the
important discovery that that action OF
an insulin injection into the muscleless
thing results In a decrease of blood
sugar-thus learning that the action OF
this powerful drug is not altogether that
Of incrs asing the demand of the mus
Giles for blood sugar and thus drawing
it out Of the blood. There is something
in the insulin itself which cuts down
the blood sugar content.
us this alive or dead?" pr@MarkowitZ
was asked,