Evening star., 1942-09-22
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

Death from fear, with no physical
injury, seems entirely possible.
This is the verdict of DR.. Walter 3.
Cannon, professor of physiology at Har-
ward University, based upon study OF
killings allegedly accomplished by voodoo
doctors and witches, reported from many
parts of the world
Supposedly, such magician can XIII
an enemy merely by pointing stick at
him. granted the intended victim knows
the malevolent intention. Reports OF
such happenings generally have come
from explorers and missionaries and
commonly have been doubted by most
physicians.
DR.. Cannon, he reports to the Amer
ican Anthropological Association, OBJ
tanned records of such happenings from
medical men whose own prejudices
would be against believing what they
saw with their own eyes Still they were
assured that the phenomena were real.
The deaths, DIR. Cannon says, can be
explained on entirely natural grounds,
without any recourse to the supernat-
ural Practically the same thing hap
pens in surgical or wound shock, one
of the most serious medical problems
of the present war.
In the first place, he points out, fear
has an extreme effect on the sympa-
thetic nervous system. This results in
releasing large quantities of adrenalin,
a powerful stimulant to nerve activity,
into the blood stream. Nature intends
that this reaction should make an Or
ganism more competent temporarily to
defend itself against sudden peril.
DR., Cannon and his associates have
performed many experiments with So
called decerebrate cats in whom the
entire top of the brain, the seat of
conscious reactions. has been removed.
These animals live for some time after
such severe operations but the average
reaction is one of intense and constant
rage, with the brakes provided by the
conscious part of the brain entirely
removed There is an enormous adren-
ain secretion.
The animals hair stands on end. Sweat
exudes from the toe pads. The heart
rate goes up to as high as 300 beats a
| minute, blood pressure goes up, blood
sugar increases to as much as fivefold
normal In sense, the injured creature
| is supremely equipped for fighting Rage
| and fear have almost precisely the same
| effects, DR.. Cannon says.
| But a decerebrate cat usually dies In
| three or four hours. Death is preceded
by very great drop in blood pressure
such as is found in wound shock. Oc-
casionally an animal does not show this
subconscious rage. Then, with no parti
cular sympathetic nervous system stimu
lation, it may live for long time. The
same result is achieved, one of DR.
Cannon's associates found, by discon
Meeting the sympathetic nervous system
at the same time the top of the brain /,
| removed.
| The essential mechanism, DR.. Cannon
says, is lowering of the amount of cir
culating blood by the action of adrenalir
in constructing some of the small arteries
This results in reduced supply to thu
heart and the nerve centers. This, II
turn, results in less blood being pumped
through the circulation. This, again IL
turn, deprives the arterial walls o
oxygen and makes 1t easier for th
blood plasma to leak through them
This last phenomenon is what is believed
to happen in shock.
DR.. Cannon admits that it would re
quire extreme fear indeed to brinl
about such a result. But there Wer
reliable cases of it reported from tn
First World War.
There is no doubt, DR.. Cannon say.
that the highly superstitious victim o
a witch doctor suffers this sort of feal
He knows that everybody else in tn
community is certain that he will die
that they already are taking steps t
placate his ghost. There is nothing h
can do about it and no surcease of tn
terror until it finally sends him into fats
| shock