488 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



faculties. " A man," as we remember hearing a phrenological lecturer 

 say, " with a head bulging out behind, is going backward in the world " ; 

 and there was indeed, as we shall see, a modicum of truth (although he 

 knew and understood it not) in the lecturer's remark, since without the 

 cerebellum we could in reality proceed neither forward nor backward. 

 We now know that the old phrenology of the cerebellum is utterly 

 wrong and unfounded. The new phrenology has shown us that in 

 cases of diseased animal appetites, which in our lunatic asylums are 

 but too frequently represented, the cerebellum is not found to be 

 affected — a result explained by the fact that the appetites referred to 

 are indeed as much part of our " mental " constitution as is the exercise 

 of benevolence or of any other mental faculty. Furthermore, the new 

 phrenolog}' supplies positive evidence as to the true functions of the 

 cerebellum. When it is removed from a pigeon, for instance, the ani- 

 mal retains its faculties, it will feed, it can see and hear, but is utterly 

 unable to maintain its equilibrium. If thrown into the air, it flaps its 

 wings in an erratic and aimless fashion. In one word, it can not " co- 

 ordinate " its movements, that is, it can not so adjust the m.otions of 

 one set of muscles as to bring them into purposive harmony with an- 

 other set or series. The cerebellum thus appears to be the great brain- 

 center Avhence are issued the commands and directions which guide the 

 muscular actions and movements of our lives. Contrariwise, the true 

 functions of the cerebellum are proved by experiments in which this 

 part of the brain has been left intact while the cerebrum or true brain 

 has been removed — an operation absolutely painless, as will presently 

 be more particularly mentioned. A bird or higher animal in such a 

 case will lose all power of volition ; it will be deprived of sight, hear- 

 ing, and other senses ; it will die of hunger unless fed ; it will exhibit 

 no desire to move ; and will in short present a condition utterly op- 

 posed to that seen when the cerebellum is removed and the true brain 

 left intact. But with its cerebellum present, and minus its true brain, 

 the bird can perfectly " coordinate " its movements. It will fly straight 

 if thrown into the air, it will walk circumspectly enough if pushed for- 

 ward, and will exhibit in fact such perfect muscular control, despite its 

 want of volition and intellect, that the functions of the cerebellum as a 

 controller of movements are no longer matter of hypothesis, but have 

 become stable physiological fact. 



If, however, the old phrenology has been displaced from the cere- 

 bellum by the new, no less important is it to note that, regarding the 

 functions of the true brain, modern research has been equally success- 

 ful in deposing the old ideas of the " organs " and their attendant facul- 

 ties as exhibited on the phrenological charts and busts. Experimenta- 

 tion on the brain of higher animals, quoad the brain itself, is absolutely 

 painless — contrary to popular notions and ideas. True, there are cer- 

 tain parts of the brain which are exceedingly delicate, and in which 

 the point of a needle would inflict at once a fatal injury. But the 



