Buchanan's Journal of Man, December 1887 Part 4

I do not propose in this sketch to go through all the details of the localities as I might with the anatomical models before a cla.s.s, but would refer, in conclusion, to the location of the physiological functions of the brain.

Its basilar surfaces, pointing downwards, have their normal influence upon the body. Behind the ear they act upon the spinal cord and muscular system. Hence basilar depth produces vital force and muscular power. But as the basilar functions, which use the body, are opposite to the coronal functions which sustain our higher nature, it follows that excessive use of the body, either for exertion or for sensual pleasure, is destructive to our higher faculties, operating in many respects like the indulgence of the lower pa.s.sions. Hence mankind are imbruted by excessive toil as well as by excessive sensuality and violence.

While the basilar region behind the ear operates upon the posterior part of the trunk, that portion in front of the ear operates more anteriorly, affecting the viscera, in which there is no muscular vigor, and the tendency of which is toward indolence. Thus the vertical line separates the indolent from the energetic basilar functions, and all the enfeebling, sensitive, morbid faculties that impair our energies are in the anterior basilar region.

The normal action of these organs, however, is necessary to life, and sustains the visceral system in the reception of food and expulsion of waste. But as it is the region of sensibility to all influences, it renders us liable to all derangements of body and mind, unless we are strongly fortified by our occipital strength. The tendency to bodily disorder has been explained by reference to the organs of Disease and Health. Insanity, or derangement of the mind and nervous system, belongs to a basilar and anterior location, which we reach through the junction of the neck and jaw (marked Ins.). It is more interior, but not lower than Disease, in the brain. Its antagonism is above on the temporal arch, between the lateral and upper surfaces of the brain, marked San. for Sanity. It gives a mental firmness which resists disturbing influences.

The coronal region or upper surface of the brain has the opposite influence to that of the basilar organs in all respects, withdrawing the nervous energy from the body, tranquillizing its excitements, and attracting all vital energy to the brain, especially in its upper region. By sustaining the brain, which is the chief seat of life, and by restraining the pa.s.sions, the coronal region is more beneficial to health and longevity than any other portion. In the posterior part it not only has this happy effect, but by sustaining the occipital half of the brain, gives a normal and healthy energy to all the powers of life. Such is the influence of the group of organs in which Health is the centre.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

It is obvious, therefore, that the study of the brain reveals laws which give us the strongest inducement to an honorable life as the only road to success and happiness.

To show the facility with which organs may be located upon general principles, I present herewith the locations actually made by a small cla.s.s of pupils when I first proposed to have them determine locations according to the general laws of organology. None of these locations would be called erroneous, the most incorrect of all being Adhesiveness, located a little too high. They are Be. Benevolence, Ac.

Acquisitiveness, Phi. Philanthropy, Des. Destructiveness, Lo. Love, Ha. Hate, Hu. Humor, Mod. Modesty, Os. Ostentation, Con.

Conscientiousness, Ba. Baseness, Pa. Patience, Irr. Irritability, For.

Fort.i.tude, Al. Alimentiveness, Her. Heroism, Sen. Sensibility, Hea.

Health, Dis. Disease, Ad. Adhesiveness, Co. Combativeness, Ar.

Arrogance, Rev. Reverence, Ca. Cautiousness, Ra. Rashness.

The suggestion cannot be too often repeated that the nomenclature of cerebral organology can never adequately express the functions of the organs. The brain has in all its organs physiological and psychic powers, which no one word can ever express fully. Sometimes a good psychic term, such as Firmness, suggests to the intelligent mind a corresponding influence on the physiological const.i.tution, but in the present state of mental science the conception of such a correspondence is very vague.

Moreover, even the psychic functions are not adequately represented by the words already coined in the English language for other purposes, and I do not think it expedient at present to coin new terms which would embarra.s.s the student. The word Sanity, for example, answers its purpose by signifying a mental condition so firm and substantial as to defy the depressing and disturbing influences that derange the mind.

It produces not the mere negative state, or absence of insanity, but a positive firmness, and self-control, which is the interior expression of firmness. The cheerful, stable, manly, and well-regulated character which it produces, disciplines alike the intellect and the emotions, and shows itself in children by an early maturity of character and deportment, and freedom from childish folly and pa.s.sion.

If a new word should be introduced to express this function, the Greek word SOPHROSYNE would be a very good one, as it signifies a self-controlled and reasonable nature. The verb ANDRISO, signifying to render hardy, manly, strong, to display vigor, and make a manly effort of self-control, would be equally appropriate in the adjective form, ANDRIKOS, and still more in the noun ANDRIA, which signifies manhood or manly sentiments and conduct. It would not, however, be preferable to the English word, MANLINESS, which is as appropriate a term as Sanity or ANDRIA.

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PSYCHOMETRIC PRACTICE.

Mrs. C. H. Buchanan continues to apply her skill in the description of character and disease, with general impressions as to past and future.

Her numerous correspondents express much gratification and surprise at the correctness of her delineations. The fee for a personal interview is $2; for a written description $3; for a more comprehensive review and statement of life periods, with directions for the cultivation of Psychometry, $5.

MAYO'S ANaeSTHETIC.

The suspension of pain, under dangerous surgical operations, is the greatest triumph of Therapeutic Science in the present century. It came first by mesmeric hypnotism, which was applicable only to a few, and was restricted by the jealous hostility of the old medical profession. Then came the nitrous oxide, introduced by Dr. Wells, of Hartford, and promptly discountenanced by the enlightened (?) medical profession of Boston, and set aside for the next candidate, ether, discovered in the United States also, but far inferior to the nitrous oxide as a safe and pleasant agent. This was largely superseded by chloroform, discovered much earlier by Liebig and others, but introduced as an anaesthetic in 1847, by Prof. Simpson. This proved to be the most powerful and dangerous of all. Thus the whole policy of the medical profession was to discourage the safe, and encourage the more dangerous agents. The magnetic sleep, the most perfect of all anaesthetic agents, was expelled from the realm of college authority; ether was subst.i.tuted for nitrous oxide, and chloroform preferred to ether, until frequent deaths gave warning.

Nitrous oxide, much the safest of the three, has not been the favorite, but has held its ground, especially with dentists. But even nitrous oxide is not perfect. It is not equal to the magnetic sleep, when the latter is practicable, but fortunately it is applicable to all. To perfect the nitrous oxide, making it universally safe and pleasant, Dr. U. K. Mayo, of Boston, has combined it with certain harmless vegetable nervines, which appear to control the fatal tendency which belongs to all anaesthetics when carried too far. The success of Dr. Mayo, in perfecting our best anaesthetic, is amply attested by those who have used it. Dr. Thorndike, than whom Boston had no better surgeon, p.r.o.nounced it "the safest the world has yet seen." It has been administered to children and to patients in extreme debility. Drs. Frizzell and Williams say they have given it "repeatedly in heart disease, severe lung diseases, Bright's disease, etc., where the patients were so feeble as to require a.s.sistance in walking, many of them under medical treatment, and the results have been all that we could ask--no irritation, suffocation, nor depression. We heartily commend it to all as the anaesthetic of the age." Dr. Morrill, of Boston, administered Mayo's anaesthetic to his wife with delightful results when "her lungs were so badly disorganized, that the administration of ether or gas would be entirely unsafe." The reputation of this anaesthetic is now well established; in fact, it is not only safe and harmless, but has great medical virtue for daily use in many diseases, and is coming into use for such purposes. In a paper before the Georgia State Dental Society, Dr. E. Parsons testified strongly to its superiority. "The nitrous oxide (says Dr. P.) causes the patient when fully under its influence to have very like the appearance of a corpse," but under this new anaesthetic "the patient appears like one in a natural sleep." The language of the press generally has been highly commendatory, and if Dr. Mayo had occupied so conspicuous a rank as Prof. Simpson, of Edinburgh, his new anaesthetic would have been adopted at once in every college of America and Europe.