638 THE CEREBRAL RELATIONS OF 



pairment of Intellectual Power — to be dependent, in short, 

 upon injuries or altered states of parts of the Brain more 

 specially concerned with such modes of activity. 



The process of Thought seems to be in a measure 

 independent of the Words in which the Thought is 

 expressed, so that perhaps we ' think in words ' somewhat 

 less than is generally supposed. Its partial independence 

 appears indicated by the fact that we 'select' our expres- 

 sions. Thus, according to the different shades of meaning 

 sought to be conveyed in our propositions, we often 

 deliberately weigh or * select,' the substantives, adjectives, 

 and verbs, that we may deem most expedient for the 

 complete communication of our thoughts to others. This 

 seems to indicate some separate process by which Thoughts 

 or ' Eelations ' associate themselves with Words — one 

 which is perhaps a little less automatic than that by 

 which external objects, real or in ' idea,' associate them- 

 selves with Words. 



In the * incoordinate defects' of different grades, it is these 

 particular verbal relations or associations, which are dis- 

 turbed. How, we know not. The error may be in the mode 

 of activity of the Perceptive or Thought-Centres, or perhaps 

 in their related Word- Centres ; the effect, in either case, 

 being that erroneous associations become established, so 

 that, as a consequence, incorrect or meaningless proposi- 

 tions are uttered. 



In the very extreme forms of this incoordinate defect, 

 in which Speech is reduced to a mere jabber of meaning- 

 less sounds, we probably have to do with some grave 

 defect, either in the Auditory Word-Centres or in the 

 Kinsesthetic Word-Centres. There are two types of such 

 cases ; one like that recorded by Broadbent, in which the 

 person who jabbers, also docs not understand what is 

 said to him ; and another like that of Dr. Osborne, 



