Evening star., 1936-05-16
AGN0S|A CREATES
STRANGE SIGHTS
Brain Injury Victims Can't
Tell Orange From Glass
of Water.

BY stan Correspondent of The Star.
KANSAS CITY. Mo, May 16.-A
tiny area in the rear of the brain en-
ables man to know what he sees.
If it is injured, vision is as good as
ever, but the victim can't tell which is
an orange and which is glass Of wa
ter until he feels them.
This strange condition, known as
agnosia, was described before the
neurologists Of the American Medical
Association by DR.. J. M. Nelson Of
Los Angeles. He summed up evidence
that the defect Is due to a lesion Of
the second and third convolutions Of
the occipital lobe Of the brain where,
in some unknown manner, the nerve
tracts Of vision are brought into asso-
citation with stored visual memories.
There is reason to believe, it was
pointed out, that for any individual
this is centered on one side Of the
brain. 1t long has been known that in
most persons the center of speech is
found only on the left side of the
brain.
Injury Obstructs Words.
II small area in the left frontal
lobe is injured, q person cannot make
use Of words, although the vocal or
gans are as good as ever. Also. DR..
Nelson pointed out, the left side of
the brain seems to control skilled, pur-
posive movements of the hands.
It has been believed in the past,
however, that man had both a right
and left capacity for sensory discrimi-
nation. An injury on one side of the
parietal lobe of the brain, where the
sense Of touch is centered, leaves the
sense of touch on the opposite side as
good as ever. But in this queer
agnosia, DR.. Nelson said, the faculty
seems to be confined to one side OF
the brain or the other, depending On
the handedness Of the victim.
Persons suffering from this condi-
ton are in q woeful state. A victim
would not be able to recognize q black
object in the road, as a moving auto
mobile, until he heard the horn, al
though he could see it perfectly. He
couldn't tell bread from butter before
him on the table. Failure to recog-
nize objects. it was pointed out, may
be quite distinct from more distinct
forms of aphasia frequently described
in medical literature. Memories OF
different kinds are packed away all
over the cortex of the brain, but can
not be called into use II the connec-
tions between them and the sensory
impressions which ordinarily would
arouse them are broken down.
Writer Unable to Read.
A case was described Of one woman
who was able to write perfectly legible
and coherent letters every day ant
could see the words and paper per.
fectly, but could not read wore oi
what she had herself written. Othel
cases were brought into the discussion
of persons with specific loss Of ability
to recognize such things as mathe.
matical symbols, musical notes, etc.
although they could see them perfectly
In other cases, due to LESSONS in tn.
temporal lobes Of the brain over tn,
ears, it is impossible for persons t.
recognize words. although they heal
as acutely IS ever.
The area Of visual recognition de.
fined by DR.. Nelson lies just on tn,
border Of q tiny area the occipita
corteX, which is the center of seeins
itself. This area is equally potent or
both sides Of the brain. II one side
Is injured the victim Is as truly blinded
As If one Of the eyes had been put out