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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVIII. No. 974 



If the environmental impacts are repeated 

 with such frequency that the brain cells 

 have no time for restoration between them, 

 the energy of the cells becomes exhausted 

 and a condition of shock results. Every 

 action of the body may thus be analyzed 

 into a stimulation of ceptors, a consequent 

 discharge of brain cell energy, and a final 

 adaptive activation of the appropriate 

 part. Walking, running and their modi- 

 fications constitute an adaptation of won- 

 derful perfection, for, as Sherrington has 

 shown, the adaptation of locomotion con- 

 sists of a series of reflexes — ceptors in the 

 joints, in the limb and in the foot being 

 stimulated by variations in pressure. 



As we have shown, the bene- and noci- 

 ceptors orientate man to all forms of phys- 

 ical contact — the former guide him to the 

 acquisition of food and to sexual contact; 

 the latter direct him from contacts of a 

 harmful nature. The distance ceptors, on 

 the other hand, adapt man to his distant 

 environment by means of communication 

 through unseen forces — ethereal vibrations 

 produce sight; air waves produce sound; 

 microscopical particles of matter produce 

 smell. The advantage of the distance cep- 

 tors is that they allow time for orientation, 

 and because of this great advantage the 

 majority of man's actions are responses to 

 their adequate stimuli. As Sherrington 

 has stated, the greater part of the brain 

 has been developed by means of stimuli 

 received through the special senses, espe- 

 cially through the light ceptors, the optic 

 nerves. 



We have just stated that by means of 

 the distance ceptors animals and man ori- 

 entate themselves to their distant environ- 

 ment. As a result of the stimulation of 

 the special senses chase and escape are 

 effected, fight is conducted, food is secured, 

 and mates are found. It is obvious, there- 

 fore, that the distance ceptors are the pri- 



mary cause of continuous and exhausting 

 expenditures of energy. On the other 

 hand, stimuli applied to contact ceptors 

 lead to short, quick discharges of nervous 

 energy. The child puts his hand in the 

 fire and there is an immediate and com- 

 plete response to the injuring contact; he 

 sees a pot of jam on the pantry shelf and 

 a long train of continued activities are set 

 in motion, leading to the acquisition of the 

 desired object. 



The contact ceptors do not at all pro- 

 mote the expenditure of energy in the 

 chase or in fight, in the search for food or 

 for mates. Since the distance ceptors con- 

 trol these activities, one would expect to 

 find that they control also those organs 

 whose function is the production of ener- 

 gizing internal secretions. Over these 

 organs — ^the thyroid, the adrenals, the 

 hypophysis — the contact ceptors have no 

 control. Prolonged laboratory experimen- 

 tation seems to prove this postulate. Ac- 

 cording to our observations, no amount of 

 physical trauma inflicted upon animals will 

 cause hyperthyroidism or increased epine- 

 phrin in the blood, while fear and rage do 

 produce hyperthyroidism and increased 

 epinephrin. This is a statement of far- 

 reaching importance and is the key to an 

 explanation of many chronic diseases — dis- 

 eases which are associated with the intense 

 stimulation of the distance ceptors in hu- 

 man relations. 



Stimuli of the contact ceptors differ 

 from stimuli of the distance ceptors in still 

 another important particular. The ade- 

 quacy of stimuli of the contact ceptors de- 

 pends upon their number and intensity, 

 while the adequacy of the stimuli of the 

 distance ceptors depends upon the experi- 

 ence of the species and of the individual. 

 That is, according to phylogeny and on- 

 togeny this or that sound, this or that 

 smell, this or that sight, through associa- 



