Evening star., 1951-12-26
Chambers Within Broin
Are Like Those in House
Naval Research Office Reports
On Studies of Blood Supply
By Thomas R. Henry

There are chambers In consciousness,
as in house.
An intensive study of the brains blood
supply is being carried out under grants
from the Office Of Naval Research
It already has been determined that
there are great differences between vari-
GUS parts OF the cerebrum, the organ Of
all consciousness-and thus new field
Of brain investigation is being pioneered.
Progress to date has just been reported
by DR.. Ernst Scharrer of the University
OF Colorado, working under one Of the
Navy grants.
The blood brings oxygen to the brain
cells. They probably are the most sensi-
tive parts Of the body. It has been DEM
onStrated that when a person stops
breathing for very short time the cells
are so affected that complete idiocy
results.
Hitherto there have been many studies
Of the total blood supply and oxygen up
take Of the brain cells. These have about
the same meaning, it is maintained in
the Navy report, so far as telling what
goes on inside the brain is concerned, as
measurements of the total gas, water and
electricity entering a house have In de-
termining what goes on inside the house.
Require Different Supplies.
Apparently different parts of the brain
require different blood supplies. just as
different rooms Of house require diff
ferent gas or water supplies. Dr. Scharrer
has been able to differentiate some of
these by study Of the so-called capillary
beds in different parts of the brain.
Blood enters the brain by way of ar
teries which divide into smaller and
smaller branches. The smallest of these
branches are the capillaries which form
into networks known as capillary beds.
By means of dyes injected into these
beds they can be made clearly visible.
DR.. Scharrer reports, and the compara-
tive densities in different parts of the
brain determined. There are outstanding
differences. 1t is believed that the brain
cells pick UP the greater part of their
oxygen and nutrients from the blood in
these networks. Hence they give rough
index of the activity, and Importance, Of
different brain areas.
There are some general findings to
date. One is that the so-called gray
matter" has richer blood supply, on
the average. than white matter. The
gray matter is constituted largely Of the
brains nerve cells while the white matter
is mostly nerve fiber.
Some areas with many gray cells, how
ever, appear to have poor blood supply.
Others. with relatively few cells, are
richly supplied. The latter are believed
to be brain junction centerS. Some
known centers. however. do not seem
to have an exceptional blood supply.
Function Vaguely Known.
Within the brain are mysterious, rod.
like structures known as microchondria.
Their function is only vaguely known.
They are believed. however, to be car
riers of certain enZymes-substances
which initiate but do not take part in
various vital chemical activities of living
systems. Certain engines are essential
for cerebral functioning. especially for
the breathing of the brain cells. The
researches to date have shown that these
microchondria are most abundantly as
sociated with large capillary beds. There
are relatively few of them in areas
where the blood supply seems poor. They
appear to be an index Of the activity Of
different parts Of the cerebrum.
In the past, it is pointed out in the
Navy report, intensive research has been
devoted to determining the precise loca-
ton and boundaries of different brain
nuclei responsible for various phases of
consciousness. Different types of nerve
cells in different locations have been
differentiated.
All this however has given little in.
formation on the actual activity of these
"centers." The location of sites with
abundance of engines, however, is quite
a different matter Already it has been
determined that different engines are
concentrated in varying quantities in
different brain structures. Correspond
ing parts of the brains of different
animals also differ in this respect
fact which eventually may provide a
clue to differences in intelligence.