Vol. XIV. 



FEB. 15, 1886. 



No. 4. 



TERMS: $1.00 Peb.Vnnum, IN ADVANCE; 1 TT* ,,//-, Z^ 7,' c. 7/i /j yn/ V-r/1 1 Q 'V <?> I Cliibp to different postoflices, NOT I.R; S 

 2Copie5for«1.90;3for$3.75;6for$4.00, I JJjtS I UjU I Lo I Lt/lV irv ±0 t tJ . i than S'Octs. eat-h. Sent postpaid, in the 

 10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single Number, ! „„,,, „,.„„„.,.„„„.,.,„,. „ I U. S. and Canadas. To all o'her coiin- 



h cts. Additions to clubs maybe made ' Pi Bi.lbllKD .skmi-montiili by ] tries of the Universal Po.'^tal Union, IRe 



atclubrates. Aboveare all to be sent , » y t>/^/"vT< MT?F»TXTA OTTTr^ | peryenr extra. To all count) ies not o! 

 TO o.NK POSTOFKICK. ji\.l. iXWv^ -L , i-M jlli-U-Li>l iV , VJlliU. ^ the U. P. U., 42o per year extra. 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE BEE. 



NERVES IN GENERAT.,, AND THEIR RKl.ATION TO 

 PAIN. 



f!% EFORE entering- upon the subject at the licad 

 ji of this article, let us briefly e.xainine the 

 3 nervous system of the huniiin body, and dis- 

 ■' cover, if possible, what is the function of tlie 

 nerves; that is, what are painful and pleasant 

 sensations— their orig-in and relation to motion. We 

 can then better understand the nervous system of 

 the bee. 



()ur bodies are provided with a g-reat mass of 

 nerves, of which the spinal cord, located in the baclc- 

 bone, and the brain, are the source from which 

 these nerves branch out, and to which the nerves 

 communicate all sensation. The whole structure is 

 in form like a tree, the trunk of which is the spinal 

 cord. From this are nerves, branching' and re- 

 tiranching- throughout the whole body, until they 

 liecome so small as to be microscopic in size, and so 

 numerous that even the point of a pin, on coming- 

 in contact with the flesh, will communicate sensa- 

 tion to one or more of these nerves. As the nerves 

 are more thickly crowded near the surface of the 

 flesh, the surgical knife gives more pain while pass- 

 ing- the skin than when it has penetrated further. 

 Without these nerves we could I'eel no pain nor en- 

 .ioy any pleasant sensation, as to see, feel, hear, or 

 taste. 



WHAT IS PAIN? 



Pleasant sensation and pain are akin to each oth- 

 er, but different in degree. For instance, a warm 

 flre is as^reeable to cold hands; but if we should 

 place those hands in the flre, we should undergo 

 g-reat agony. A certain amount of light is pleasant 

 to the eyes; but direct sunlight gives pain. Now, 



the higher tlic intellect, and the higher the scale of 

 creation in general, the more complicated the 

 nerves, and, in consequence, the greater the power 

 to enjoy pleasant sensation, and to experience pain. 

 The lower the scale of development, and the simp- 

 ler the structure, the converse is true. Hence man, 

 of all creation, can experience the highest degree 

 of pain or pleasure. On the contrary, the earth- 

 worm, when cut in two, by reason of its simpler 

 structure feels comparatively little pain. True, it 

 wriggles; but, so far as I know, the two parts i)er- 

 form the same function as before. You may cut a 

 water-hydra (one of the simplest forms of animal 

 life) into several pieces, and yet each will become 

 as perfect as the parent. Then we infer that, ac- 

 cordingly, as the bee is simpler in general struc- 

 ture, and likewise in its nervous system inferior to 

 that of man, so much less pain does it feel at the 

 bungling hands of the apiarist. It certainly is a 

 very wise provision of our Creator, in so construct- 

 ing the lower forms of life that the latter, as a prey 

 to the higher forms, may not undergo the agony 

 that we would feel were we to be devoured by some 

 terrible monster. The birds subsist upon insects 

 and worms of all kinds, and God has so orilered it 

 that these lower forms should not suffer, in propor- 

 tion as we do. How do we know the lower forms of 

 life feel less pain? Decauso microscopic examina- 

 tion shows their nervous system to be simpler as we 

 proceed down the scale of animal life. The lowest 

 class (f animal life of which we have any knowl- 

 edge, as the Protozoa, have no nervous system 

 whatever, and are incapable of receiving any sen- 

 sation, unless it be contact with other bodies. In 

 fact, we find no nervous system until we come to 

 the sub-kingdom of Annuloiila. 



