Evening star., 1938-12-29
Of Stars, Men
and Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study
By Thomas r. Henri,

RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 2e.-Brain
WEAKNESS arising from unknown causes
Is put forward as a probable significant
factor in mental diseases, in a report to
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science here today by
DR.. John w. Thompson of the Harvard
University fatigue laboratory.
1t Is common experience that one
gets tired from mental activity as well
as physical, the report points out, but
the processes seem to be different. Phys
ical activity results in the accumula-
ton of Tactic acid in the blood and the
more this piles up the more tired one
feels. There is practically no Tactic acid
accumulation from brain work.
But recently, says DR.. Thompson,
citing unpublished data of the fatigue
laboratory, some evidence is accumulate
ing that certain qualitative changes
take place during severe fatigue in the
elements of the blood and that the same
changes are found in a considerable
percentage of victims Of the dreaded
mental disease, dementia praecox
Fatigue, he says, is the commonest
symptom of all mental illnesses and is
the outstanding symptom in the very
common condition known as neuras-
thenia. Breaks" come, he says, when
the state of fatigue reaches some crit
ical level. Stressing the need for
further research along these lines, DR..
Thompson declares that "rest" is not
the panacea for fatigue which it is gen.
orally assumed to be. In fact, the re-
verse is more generally true where psy-
chiatric material is concerned. Divers
ions suitable to the patients tempera-
ment and exercises conforming to his
ability are more effective. In the re-
port. which will form part of the mental
health symposium of the American AS
sociation at its Richmond (Va.) meeting,
DR.. Thompson tells of progress looking
toward physiological understanding of
fatigue.
More than 80 years ago the English
physiologist, Sherrington, found that
when dogs spinal cord was cut Just
below the brain, thereby cutting off all
impulses from the brain centers to the
body, various automatic reflex move
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persist. For example. an animal would
scratch any place that was touched,
although it could have no conscious SEN
sation. But as the stimulus was re-
peated over and over again, this scratch
ing reflex became weaker and weaker
and the form of the movement markedly
changed. This was interpreted as due
to the fact that the nerve mechanism
responsible for it was growing tired.
Some neurologists believe, it is ex-
planned, that the mind" is only an in
finitely complex system of millions or
billions of such refexes taking place in
the brain.
1T would seem reasonable" DR..
thompson says, ito suppose that any
reflex behavior would be affected bv
fatigue In similar manner. How much
OF human conduct may be accounted
Tor in terms of retiexes is not my con-
Germ, but the fact that reflex activity
is woven into the design Of behavior is
sufficient to justify the conclusion that
any change in the nature of the ref1exes
will alter the design of the total re-
sponse.
1T is generally agreed that fatigue
OF ref1eXeS is primarily confined to the
synaptic functions, but the gap still is
too vast between this type of physiolo-
glcal investigations and phychiatric
problems for one to attempt an hypothe-
sis explaining mental illness on the basis
OF cerebral synaptic fatigue. There is
some slight evidence that during the
waking state there accumulates in the
spinal fluid substance which has the
property of producing fatigue-like symp-
toms when injected into the cerebro-
spinal cavity of a normal animal. Should
this be established its possible relation
ship to neurasthenia in particular is
patent"
There is barely discernible evidence.
DR.. Thompson says, that fatigue due
either to exhausting muscular work or
lack OF sleep causes certain minute
changes in the cells of the nervous sys-
tenn. 1t is reasonable to suppose, he
says, that lesser amount of exertion
may cause slighter changes that cannot
be discerned with microscope, but
which may be responsible for profound
changes in behavior.
Psychologists, he points out, have
shown that during mental work there
appear periods during which there is
a complete failure of response. AS the
mind gets tired these "blocksf are in
creased in frequency and show tend
ency to bunch together. 1t also is known
that fatigue invoked by one type OF
mental activity will carry over to other
types if they are closely related and thus
a life activity which is not somewhat
varied may eventually lead to a cumula-
tive fatigue, and this in turn to an in
crease in mental blocks which would
constitute mental disease.
Chance to See President
Spoiled by Photographers.