240 Experimental Evidence regarding Function [CHAP. 



We will begin for convenience with Bianchi's research. Dogs and monkeys formed his 

 material, and ablation of the portion of the frontal lobe initially found irresponsive to 

 electrical stimulation may be mentioned as his chief operative proceeding. Now in my 

 opinion Bianchi's work carries a lot of conviction because his operations seem to have been 

 most carefully performed, his observations on the resulting phenomena studiously carried 

 out and judiciously weighed, and his intercurrent comments written in an impartial spirit. 

 That his results were positive may be gathered from the frequent occurrence in the accounts 

 of his different cases of expressions, such as " the animal is in a condition of automatism, 

 semiconsciousness, indifference, stupidity, terrorism," &c. After carefully recording his experi- 

 ments he states his conclusions as follows, " the frontal lobes are the seat of co-ordination and 

 fusion of the incoming and outgoing products of the several sensory areas of the cortex." 

 " The frontal lobes would thus sum lip into series the products of the sensori-motor 

 regions, as well as the emotive states which accompany all the perceptions, the fusion of 

 which constitutes what has been called the psychical tone of the individual. Removal of the 

 frontal lobes does not so much interfere with the perceptions taken singly, as it does 

 disaggregate the personality, and incapacitate for serialising and synthesising groups of 

 representations. The actual impressions which serve to revive these groups thus succeed 

 one another disconnectedly under- the influence of fortuitous external stimuli, and disappear 

 without giving rise to associational processes in varied and rapid succession. With the 

 organ for the physiological fusion which forms the basis of association, disappear also the 

 physical conditions underlying reminiscence, judgment and discrimination, as is well shown 

 in mutilated animals." ..." Fear is an immediate result of psychical disaggregation from 

 defective sense of personality, and unbalanced perception and judgment. Courage rests upon 

 the treble basis of self-conscious force, rapid perception of the enemy's powers for offence 

 or defence in relation to one's own, and the influence of certain feelings ; our animals show 

 an absence of all these characteristics." 



And in a modest tone Bianchi concludes his paper by saying that " even should a more 

 acceptable hypothesis to explain the facts observed be hereafter framed, I feel at any rate 

 certain of the accuracy of the observations themselves." 



Ferrier is another observer who obtained positive intellectual interferences after lesions 

 of the frontal lobe ; in his animals, removal of the part found insusceptible to electrical 

 excitation occasioned curious alterations in temper and behaviour, apathy and indifference. 

 But Ferrier is severely criticised by Bianchi in attributing motor functions to the frontal 

 lobes on account of their supposed connections with the corpus striatum, and likewise in 

 stating that the same lobes are inhibitory centres and therefore centres for attention. 



The list of physiologists who have obtained positive results in this direction could be 

 added to, but perhaps in indicating the symptoms observed and the inferences drawn by 

 these two workers I have said enough. 



Approaching the question with an open mind we have now to take evidence on the 

 opposite side. To begin with we are told by Horsley and Schafer, two trusted experimental 

 physiologists, that mutilation of the anterior third or fourth of the frontal lobe of seven 

 lower apes, one after the other, produced no disturbance whatever of special sensation or 

 intellect. Bianchi argues that Horsley and Schafer obtained negative results because the 

 mutilation, in being confined to the anterior third or fourth of the frontal lobes, was too 

 small in extent ; and having regard to the weak development of the " prefrontal " cortex 



