The brain : its development, architecture, functions and education a lecture delivered in the Assembly Rooms, Grahamstown, on 18th May, 1892 / by T. Duncan Greenlees.

  • Greenlees, T. Duncan.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The brain : its development, architecture, functions and education a lecture delivered in the Assembly Rooms, Grahamstown, on 18th May, 1892 / by T. Duncan Greenlees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    this most interesting stud/, such men as Darwin, Sully, and Froebel having made known to the world their investigations, whereby we know how we first came into being, so far as our mental relations with the world are concerned. The question may be asked : “How does the mind develop in childhood, and in what sequence are the various mental faculties evolved ? ” During the first two months of infant life the child leads a purely vegetative existence: its whole time is spent in eating (I should rather say drinking, only we are all tee¬ totallers !), sleeping and—shouting our bachelor friends would say—mother calls it crying. After two months certain motor phenomena awake our first interest in the baby : those to begin with are automatic and purposeless movements : then they appear to have some degree of intent—the grip of a finger held out to him is an example of this intentional movement in the child. During this part of the life history of baby, he seems to be able to appreciate things, for wa have the crowing of pleasure, the cry of pain, not to speak of a general restlessness —the outcome of pure healthy vitality. Co¬ incident with these movements, what are called reflex 'phenomena appear, and may be said to indicate the first awakening to activity of the nervous system. A good example of a reflex act is the closing of the eyes when the hand is brought suddenly in front of the face. Now, in this case, what causes the eyes to close, and what is the modus operandi of this apparently simple act ? As we shall see, the act is by no means so simple as one would imagine at first glance. What occurs is as follows : a
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