CHAP. XXV.] PHRENOLOGY : OLD AND NEW. 539 



As regards the establishment of the existence or absence 

 of Tactile Sensibility in an animal under observation, the 

 same kind of difficulty is encountered as in regard to the 

 other senses, owing to the uncertainty besetting the dis- 

 crimination of a mere reflex reaction to stimulation, from 

 one which has resulted from a conscious Perception. 

 Ferrier therefore " endeavoured to apply such tests as 

 might clearly distinguish between the two cases, relying 

 more on the evidence furnished by the spontaneous 



FIG. 177. Internal Aspect of the right Hemisphere of the Brain of a Monkey, 

 showing a darkly shaded area corresponding with the so-called ' Tactile Centre,' and, 

 by dotted lines, the direction in which an instrument was inserted for the destruc- 

 tion of this area. (Ferrier.) 



activity of the animal than on mere response to cutaneous 

 stimulation." 



He operated upon a Monkey which was in the main left- 

 handed, that is, one which took things offered to it pre- 

 ferably with the left hand. " For this reason the right 

 hippocampal region was destroyed, with the view of affect- 

 ing the sense of touch in the limb which the animal 

 usually employed." The results are thus described.* 



" After recovering from the operation and the narcotic stupor, 

 sight and hearing were found to be unimpaired, and the intelligence 

 quick and active as before. But cutaneous stimulation by pricking, 



* Loc. cit. p. 1.79. 



