Evening star., 1951-03-09
Brain Uses Dividing Line
Between Past and Future
GNU Scientists Report
Doto in 500 Operations
By Thomos R. Henry

By Thomos R. Henry
Crossing the roof of the brain or, q
line just back of the ears is depression
the f1ssure Of Roland.
1t is the minds dividing line between
past and future. All the brain cells be-
hind 1t are concerned with what has gone
before in mans life. Everything in front
OF 1t, enormously more developed in
human beings than in any of the lower
animals, deals with what is to come. This
Is the new concept derived from nearly
800 brain operations Of the type known
as pre-frontal lobotonies. reached by
Drs. Walter Freeman and James w.
Watts OF George Washington University.
The two brain surgeons first intro
duced the operation in the United States
In 1886. 1t consists essentially of boring
through the skull and severing some of
the connections between the front and
back OF the brain in cases of severe and
persistent mental upsets. First intro
duced by Portuguese surgeon about 20
years ago, this type of operation since
has been carried out in many American
hospitals with somewhat diverse results.
The two George Washington doctors,
however, have had by far the greatest
experience with the greatest variety Of
cases.
From many of their operations notable
benefits have resulted. There has been no
very clear concept, however, as to what
was being done to the mind. This could
come only with great accumulation of
data.
Treatise Issued.
DR.. Watts and DR.. Freeman tell of
their matured concepts in revised
treatise on psychosurgery recently issued,
THE cerebral cortex." they say, may
be considered as being divided by the
Rolandic f1ssure into two portions Of es-
sentially different function. The parts
posterlor to the fiSsure are concerned
With the reception Of impulses of various
sorts from all over the body. BY means
OF various association centers and path
ways the individual is brought by the
post-Rolandic cortex into relation with
all that has gone before in his existence,
Experience and intelligence, the bases of
his behavior. are mediated by this part
of the brain.
Just as the post-Rolandic cortex IL
concerned with the past, the re-Ro-
Iandlc cortex Is concerned with the fu.
ture. Aside from certain small areas that
mediate voluntary control over muscular
movements and the regulation of vis-
ceral functions, the rest of the frontal
cortex Is according to our hypothesis,
concerned with the projection of the
whole individual into the future. With
(thls part of the brain intact the in
dlvidual Is able to foresee, to see before.
to forecast, the results of certain actiyi-
Ties That ne is to initiate in the future
and he can visualize what effect these
actions will have on himself and his en-
Vlronment. The patient with normally
functloning frontal lobes presumably can
define the goal toward which he is work.
ing, and estimate more or less the near
ness to which he approaches it. BY
projecting an image of himself upon the
screen OF the future he is calling on his
brain mechanisms to Synthesize past ex-
perlence as his guide and on his emo
tional mechanisms for the driving force
in search of satisfactions and the avoid
ance of Distress - esr
mo Thought of Morrow" %
Once the two sections of the brain are
severed from each other, the two sur
geons agree all the reactions that have
been reported fit into the idea of mo
thought of the morrow" All other men
tai functions remain essentially undam-
aged. There is no longer ambition for
future success or concern for future dis
tress, for the future itself has gone out
of the picture.
A notable reaction cited is the ap-
parent Indifference to pain. Tests show
that pain is felt just as keenly as ever
after the operation. But the patients
show very little concern over the threat
Of it. They would be completely indif-
ferent to having teeth pulled. for ex-
ample, although they might scream while
this was being done. But beforehand
they could not project the reality of pain
into the next few moments.
Ambition tends to disappear. The
patients cannot visualize future success.
They are apt to become slovenly in their
habits and Indifferent to their jobs, be-
cause the idea of impressing people Ii
usually tied in with the prospect Of
future rewards. @
On tire other hand, worry and many
of the apparent causes of mental up
sets also disappear.