84 



much support, has been rejected by most physiologists of the 

 present day.* 



I now arrive at the consideration of certain theories which 

 will demand a much more minute examination, as having a 

 more direct reference to the objects of this Institute, — I mean 

 those which locate speech in the anterior lobes of the brain, or 

 in some particular fold of these lobes. 



As far back as 1825, Professor Bouillaud placed the faculty of 

 articulation in the anterior lobes of the brain, which he con- 

 sidered to be the organs of the formation of words and of 

 memory ; and he stated that the exercise of thought demanded 

 the integrity of these lobes. He supported his position by refer- 

 ence to 114 cases in which loss or impairment of speech coin- 

 cided with disease of the anterior lobes. Such was M. Bouil- 

 laud's confidence in his theory, that he oflPered a prize of 500 

 francs for any well-authenticated case in w'hich the two anterior 

 lobes were destroyed, or more or less seriously injured, without 

 speech being affected. This challenge remained unaccepted 

 for many years, till the occurrence of a celebrated discussion 

 on the seat of language, at the Academy of Medicine of Paris, 

 when M. Velpeau said he should claim the prize on the faith 

 of the following case observed by himself. 



In the month of March, 1843, a barber, sixty years of age, came under 

 M. Velpeau's care for disease of the prostate gland. With the exception of 

 his prostatic disorder, he seemed to be in excellent health, was very lively, 

 cheerful, full of repartee, and evidently in possession of all his faculties ; one 

 remarkable symptom in his case being his intolerable loqiiadty. A greater 

 chatterer never existed, and on more than one occasion complaints were made 

 by the other patients of this talkative neighbour, who allowed them rest 

 neither night nor day. A few days after admission this man died suddenly, 

 and a careful autopsy was made. On opening the craniimi, a cancerous 

 tumour was found, which had taken the place of the two anterior lobes ! 

 Here then was a man, who, up to the time of his death, presented no symptom 

 whatever of cerebral disease, who, far from having any lesion of the faculty 

 of speech, was unusually loquacious, and who, for a long period prior to his 

 decease, must have had a most grave disease of the brain, which had 

 destroyed a great part of the anterior lobes. 



Surely this case alone, recorded by such a high authority as 

 M. Velpeau, ought to be sufficient utterly to subvert the theory 



* The comparative value of tliis and the various other theories as to the 

 Seat of Speeeh, are fully discussed in the author's work " On Aphasia, or 

 Loss of Speech, and the Localization of the Faculty of Articulate Language." 

 Churchill & Sons, 1870. 



