2/2 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 



instinctive acts (as corresponding in a way with ac.ts of the 

 will in man) are noted, but voluntary motion and general 

 sensibility are not destroyed, and may be but little inter- 

 fered with. Of course there is no voluntary motion in the 

 sense of carrying out the behests of the will, for the organ 

 of the will is destroyed ; nor is there any record of painful 

 impressions, for the organ of memory is absent. But the 

 animal can perform various consecutive and coordinate 

 movements, such as walking, swimming, etc. For example, 

 a pigeon thus mutilated will fly when thrown into the air. 

 This does not argue any mental operation. A person does 

 not ordinarily apply his mind to the act of walking or stand- 

 ing; his mental faculties may be as completely engaged with 

 the deepest thoughts of psychology, literature, medicine or 

 other subjects while walking as at any other time. True, he 

 probably started with some fixed purpose to go in some par- 

 ticular direction to some definite place, but the act of pro- 

 gression does not per se require fixed attention on his part. 

 So in the case of the pigeon ; it does not make up its mind 

 to fly at all; and it will not fly without being thrown into 

 the air, or the application of some other similar stimulus ; 

 nor does it fly in any particular direction, or to any par- 

 ticular place. It is reduced to the condition of a "mechan- 

 ism without spontaneity." It can perform voluntary move- 

 ments but cannot originate them without external interven- 

 tion. 



Animals which have been subjected to the operation men- 

 tioned undoubtedly feel pain. They move away or cry out 

 on being burned, for example. The coordination of their 

 movements and the cries contrast with the phenomena (re- 

 flex) following such stimulation when only the cord is left. 

 It was noted above that the impressions in these cases are 

 probably received by the gray matter of the pons and not 

 recorded. 



The special senses of sight and hearing remain after the 

 removal of the cerebrum. The same is probably true of 

 taste and smell. 



