Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-05
Surgeon Is Mapping
Brains Unknown Ports
Technique Eliminates Need
For Gripping Incisions
By Thomos R. Heny

A new map of the brain" now Is
being prepared by an eminent German
brain surgeon under a Rockefeller Foun-
dalton grant.
A picture of a human brain looks
something like a physical map of a
continent with mountain ranges, deep
valleys and plains. Following this COM
parison the top of the brain, or cerebral
cortex in which all higher mental &C
tivities take place, still Is sparsely ex-
plored continent. Still less is known
about the functions of specific areas
of brain tissue underneath.
Under the foundation grant, DR..
Georges Schaltenbrand of the Univer-
sity of Wurzburg. in collaboration with
DR.. Percival Bailey of the University
of Illinois, is assembling and correlat-
ing everything known in the world
about the functions of any particular
brain area. Such map has become
of great Importance in connection with
a new brain-surgery technique now UNI
der rapid development.
Brain Probed.
This technique allows a surgeon, US
ing quite specialized instruments, to
place electrodes accurately in the deep
structures of the brain, the only nec-
essary incision being the small hole
through which the electrode needle
passes. Once placed the electrodes may
be used either to record electrical &C.
tivity of specific brain areas or to de-
stroy small, localized groups of cells or
nerve tracts. 1t no longer is necessary
to make a damaging, probably Grip
pling, incision through the cerebral
corteX.
Use Of the technique in man, how
ever is quite limited because Of the
lack Of accurate maps showing the
underlying structures and their func.
tionS, together with their location with
respect to landmarks on the top Of
the BRAIN
Under another foundation grant, DR..
Heinrich Waelsch of Columbia Uni
versity is studying the chemistry, with
respect to brain function, of two amino
acids, glutamic acid and glutamine.
Glutamic acid is one of the few amino
acids which seem to take part in en-
ergy changes in the nervous system.
Recent work suggests that the two SUBJ
stances may be involved in the syn
thesis of the special protein substances
which make up nerve cells.
A hitherto mysterious basic phenom-
enon of nature-the stimulus to plant
growth of various kinds of lights
being pushed toward solution by De-
partment of Agriculture chemists.
The effect is due, it has been DEM
onStrated by Drs. S. B. Hendricks and
H. A. Borthwick of the Bureau Of Plant
Industry, to a still unisolated pigment
in foliage. This pigment, probably Sec
ond to chlorophyl alone in Importance,
has a complex molecule composed Of
several kinds Of atoms. In one arrange
ment these atoms stimulate growth
and Towering In another they retard
these processes.
The way in which they are arranged
in the molecule depends on the way
they are illuminated. The effect differs
for different plants.
Difference in Lights.
Red light, for example, makes let
tuce seed sprout, but infra-red rays
hold back termination. This happens
because both red and infra-red can
rearrange the molecule. The red shifts
the atoms to their growth stimulating
pattern while the infra-red pushes
them back to the inactive form. A long
dark period has the same effect as in
fra-red
While they have been unable to
identify the pigment, Drs. Hendricks
and Borthwick have demonstrated that
no other arrangement is involved, and
this is expected to help chemists
isolate the pigment, which apparently
is very fundamental in the life proce
ess of plants upon which depends the
life processes of animals.
Among the known light-controlled
responses in plants are the building of
onions, runner production in straw
berries, root formation in corn seedlings
and growth of pea seedlings. These.
however. are probably only superficial
phenomena easily observed and the
effects may be universal throughout
the whole plant kingdom.