On the specific gravity of different parts of the human brain / by H. Charlton Bastian.

  • Bastian, H. Charlton.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the specific gravity of different parts of the human brain / by H. Charlton Bastian. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    14/52 (page 12)
    ties of the anterior pyramids^ have estimated its specific gravity as a whole. Unfortunately, the examination of ten of the brains of the eleven in- sane persons has not been so complete as that to which the eleventh and most of the other twenty-nine cases have been subjected. These were my first observations on the subject, and as I gradually dis- covered the very considerable variations in the specific gravities of the different parts of the brain in different individuals, and especially the variations in tliat of the gray matter in the same brain, I became anxious to examine this organ in a certain number of sane indi- viduals after the same method, so as to ascertain, if possible, what amount of importance could be attached to these deviations, and whether or not they would seem to have any connection with the mental condition of the individual. As the specific gravities have been taken of so many parts of the brain in each case, and the variations in the different cases are so dissimilar, the only satisfactory way of recording these observations seems to be to give each series of numbers separately, in order that they may be readily compared with one another, and tine method of their variation, if possible, detected. This I have therefore done, giving, in addition, particulars as to sex, age, interval between death and autopsy, as well as nature of illness and principal pathological conditions met with after death. Where the brain was notably con- gested or auoe.mic, I have mentioned the fact, and in the remaining cases a medium condition of vascularity may be considered to have existed. The cases have been numbered also for facility of reference, and in each table have been ranged in order of age. Of the twenty-nine cases in which the brains of sane persons were submitted to examination, and the results given in the following tables, twenty-five only will be taken account of hereafter for the purpose of estimating averages. The four cases omitted are num- bered I, II, XXI, and xxvii. The two former were not included, on account of the brains having been taken from cliildren only two years of age, and the two latter because the evidence as to the mental condition of the individuals was not of a sufficiently decided nature. The examination of the brain in Nos. xxi and xxvii amongst the sane, and in all the insane cases with the exception of No. xxxi, were made in this country at varying periods of the year, and therefore at ])eriods of different atmospheric temperature: but in all the remain- ing cases the investigations were carried on this summer at Berlin,* * This portion of the work was done in the Pathological Institute of Berlin, where, through the kindness and couitesy of Professor Virchow and his two assistants, I)rs. Klebs and Colnheim, every facility was afforded me for carrying on these investigations, and I now most gratefully acknowledge my obligations to them. As the brains occasionally remained on the wooden trays for about half