Evening star., 1938-10-25
Emotions Speed Through Brain
Measured Precisely in Tests
Person Is Angry Four-Thousandth,s of
Second Before He Kn0ws 1t,
academy of Medicine Told.

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sents crossing Of three or four hum
dred million years from the time when
the sympathetic nerve system was
alone in the body and the hypothala-
mus was the highest part of the brain.
Convincing Evidence.
DR.. Hoagland. working with brain
surgeons at the Albany. N. Y, State
Hospital, has just carried out expert
ments In which fine wires were intro
duced directly through the skulls of
dogs andtheir ends fixed in the tissue
Of the hypothalamus In this way 1t
was possible to get very direct hypo-
thalamic waves. When such a dog
has completely recovered from the
operation and is in tranquil mood
the delta wave pattern obtained from
these buried wires is very similar to
that obtained by means of the metal
spike pushed up mans nose.
This is convincing evidence. DR..
Hoagland believes, that the spike elec-
trode Is giving real picture of the
electrical phenomena in this ancient
congregating place of the emotions.
Various experiments are in prospect to
test the changes which take place
when such dog is scared or angered
The experiments reported by DR..
Hoagland today have far-reaching
implications in several directions. The
hypothalamic waves probably will con-
stitute the most certain and accurate
means of detecting and measuring
human emotional reactions Study
Of them may bring about a clearer
understanding of the mechanics of
emotions
BY means of so-colled delta
index" devised by himself, based partly
on map-making device of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. Dr. Hoagland
Is able to make precise measurements
of the changes In magnitude of these
waves.
Already the delta wave study has
led to one important result These
large, slow waves are somewhat more
frequent, on the average, in dementia
precox patients than in normal indi-
viduals Many normals, however, have
more pronounced waves than many in
sane in individual cases, so that does
not constitute a criterion of insanity.
Delta Wave Pattern Constant.
The experiments at the Worcester
State Hospital have shown, however,
that while the delta wave pattern of
the normal remains constant from
day to day, that Of the schizophrenic
varies greatly. The extent of this
variation has been found an accurate
measure of the rate at which he is
getting better or getting worse The
method gives phychiatrists a means Of
knowing whether particular treat
ment is doing any good.
There is very painful disease which
most traf11c policemen get at some
time or other from holding up their
arms so much.
The agony is excruciating and the
suffering victims must be given
morphine or some other pain killer.
Usually it only lasts couple of weeks
at the most. but sometimes it becomes
chronic, and in the past there has
not been much to do for it.
The malady also afflicts painters,
paperhangers, window washers and
others who have jobs requiring that
their arms be held high for extended
periods. 1t sometimes comes from a
blow on the shoulder or from a shock
transmitted from a fall on the hand
or elbow. 1t manifests itself with
Gripping pain in the shoulder.
The newest methods of treatment
were explained to the academy by DR..
Gordon NJ. Morrison of Boston City
Hospital and Dr. William D. McFee,
chief of staff of the Haverhill Mass
Municipal Hospital. In some advanced
cases, where there has been deposit
of calcium around the shoulder joint,
DR.. McFee said, relief can be obtained
by system of electrical treatment
known as calcium ionization. The
shoulder is soaked with a solution of
ordinary table salt, and this is driven
into the tissues with an electric cur
rent. The result is chemical action
causing the breakup of the calcium.
Massage Beneficial.
Only in extreme cases, the physi-
clans stressed. was surgery to berak
up the calcium desirable. In milder
cases rest combined with heat treat
ment is usually sufficient. A good deal
may be accomplished by manipulation
of the arm under an anaesthetic by
H0n6ino tho chn,,1der y,if1 iy,fr
rays and by massage.
The human race has great variety
of kinds of spines. Dr. Joel E. Gold
thwait of the Harvard University school
of medicine told the academy, the vari-
ations coming chiefly at those points
where, in the evolution of the mammal
race, vertebrae have been added or dis
carded at some time or other
The academy was welcomed to
Washington at a public meeting last
night by Dr. William j. Mallory,
president of the Medical Society of
the District of Columbia There were
other welcoming addresses by Maj.
Gen. Charles R. Reynolds, Army sur
geon general; Brig. Gen. Frank T.
Hines. Veterans Administration head,
and DR.. Charles Griffith, chief medical
officer of the Veterans Administration.
DR.. ROLAND A. Case of Cleveland,
president of the academy. told of
recent advances in physical medicine.
DR.. William S. Bainbridge described
the international Congress of Military
Medicine and Pharmacy.
Farmers Ask Insurance.