LITERARY NOTICES. 



The Brain of Laura Bridgeman. 



The opportunity to submit the brain of a blind, deaf mute to scien- 

 tific examination is so rare that it must be esteemed a piece of exceptional 

 good fortune that in the case of Laura Bridgeman, whose mental powers 

 have been so carefully recorded, a detailed examination of the brain has 

 been attempted. While it is greatly to be regretted that the preservation 

 was inadequate yet the data are of great value. The paper will be 

 accessible to most of our readers l so that we will content ourselves with 

 quoting the author's summary : 



"From these fragmentary observations, which leave so many points 

 connected with this special case still undecided, it will be advantageous 

 to construct some sort of general picture. . 



'The anatomical condition was that of a normal brain in which the 

 olfactory bulbs and nerves, the optic nerves, the auditory nerves, and 

 possibly the glossopharyngeal, had all been more or less destroyed at their 

 peripheral ends. This destruction caused a degeneration — most marked 

 in the optic nerves— which extended towards the centres and involved 

 them indirectly. This condition has left its mark more or less plainly 

 on the whole brain, as indicated by the extent and thickness of the cerebral 

 cortex, and specially by the cortex connected with these deficient sensory 

 nerves. The physiological effect of the peripheral lesions, as I conceive 

 it, was to retard growth in the centres, cortical and subcortical, which 

 were thus involved, and also to interfere with, if not entirely prevent, 

 the formation of the association tracts. 



"To be sure, this case represents a maximum loss in these defective 

 senses with a minirnum amount of central disturbance, thus offering the very 



1. Donaldson, H. H. On the Brain of Laura KriilRenian.— American .Journal of 

 Psychology, Vol. III-IV. 



