THE TIME TAKEN UP BY CEREBRAL OPERATIONS
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THE TIME TAKEN UP BYCEREBRAL OPERATIONS
By James McKeen Cattell (1886-1887)Get any book for free on:www.Abika.com
THE TIME TAKEN UP BY CEREBRAL OPERATIONS
Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com2
THE TIME TAKEN UP BY CEREBRAL OPERATIONS.
James McKeen Cattell (1886-1887)
Assistant in the Psychological Laboratory, University of Leipsic.
[
sic
]First published in
Mind
,
11
, 220-242.Part 1 of 4Mental states correspond to physical changes in the brain. The object of this paper is to inquireinto the time needed to bring about changes in the brain, and thus to determine the rapidity of thought. When waves in the luminiferous ether of a particular length strike the retina a red lightis seen, but a certain time passes after the waves have struck the retina before the light is seen: -(1) It takes time for the light waves to work on the retina, and generate in the cells a nervousimpulse corresponding to the nature of the light; (2) it takes time for the nervous impulse to beconveyed along the optic nerve to the brain; (3) it takes time for the nervous impulse to beconveyed through the brain to the visual centre; and (4) it takes time for the nervous impulse tobring about changes in the visual centre corresponding to its own nature, and consequently to thenature of the external stimulus. When these changes are brought about a red light is seen. It doesnot take any time for a sensation or perception to arise after the proper changes in the brain havebeen brought about. The sensation of a red light is a state of consciousness corresponding to acertain condition of the brain. The chemical changes in a galvanic battery take time, but afterthey are brought about, no additional time is needed to produce the electric current. The currentis the product of chemical changes in the battery, but at the same time the immediaterepresentative of these changes; and the relation is so far analogous between states of consciousness and changes in the brain. Again, as it takes time to see a light, so it takes time tomake a motion. Changes in the brain, the origin and nature of which we do not understand(physiologically they are part of the continuous life of the brain, mentally they are often given incontinuous life of the brain, mentally they are often given in consciousness as a will-impulse),excite the centre for the coordination of motions. The impulse there developed is conveyedthrough the brain (and it may be spinal cord) to a motor nerve, and along the nerve to the muscle,which is contracted in accordance with the will-impulse. We have here in the reverse directionthe same four periods as in the case of a stimulus giving rise to a sensation. In each case there isthe latent period in the sense-organ or muscle, the centripetal or centrifugal time in the nerve, thecentripetal or centrifugal time in the brain, and the time of growing energy in the sensory ormotor centre. Besides these [p. 221] two classes of processes, the one centripetal, the othercentrifugal, there are centrimanent cerebral operations, some of which are given inconsciousness, and make up the mental life of thought and feeling. These cerebral changes alltake time, and, as I shall show, the times can in many cases be determined.I.
Apparatus and Methods
.The time taken up by cerebral operations cannot be directly measured. It is necessary todetermine the time passing between the production of an external stimulus, which excitescerebral operations, and the making of a motion after these operations have taken place. Theapparatus needed to determine this time must consist of three parts: - (1) An instrumentproducing a sense-stimulus to excite cerebral operations and registering the instant of itsproduction; (2) an instrument registering the instant a motion is made, after the cerebraloperations have taken place; and (3) an instrument measuring the time passing between these two
THE TIME TAKEN UP BY CEREBRAL OPERATIONS
Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com3events. The first two instruments must vary with the sense-stimulus to be produced and themotion to be registered; to measure the times, I have used the Electric Chronoscope made byHipp in Neuchatel. When properly controlled, this chronoscope measures the time as accuratelyas any of the chronographic methods which have been proposed, and it is much simpler andmore convenient in its application.The Chronoscope is a clockwork moved by a weight and regulated by a vibrating spring. Thespring vibrates a thousand times a second, and at each vibration the tooth of a wheel is allowedto pass, somewhat on the principle of the escapement in a watch. This method of regulating theclockwork is ingenious and accurate, but, especially in the new form of the chronoscope, is apt toget out of order. The value of the chronoscope consists in the application of an electromagnet.The hands recording the time are not in connexion with the clockwork, and consequently do notmove when it is set in motion; but, when an electric current is sent through the coil of theelectromagnet, the armature is attracted, a system of levers throws the hands into connexion withthe clockwork and they are set in motion; and, again, when the current flowing through the coilis broken, a spring draws back the armature and the hands stand still. Thus the time the currentflowed through the coil of the electromagnet is measured.[1] The hands record thousandths of asecond.[2] The chronoscope works with great accuracy; the only serious difficulty in itsapplication being that the length of the times recorded by the hands varies with the strength of the current passing through the coil of the magnet. Supposing the strength of the spring holdingback the armature to remain constant, if the current sent through the coil is very weak, the softiron is only completely magnetised after a considerable interval, and it takes longer for themagnet to attract the armature after the current has been closed, than for the spring [p. 222] todraw back the armature after the current has been broken; consequently the time recorded by thehands is shorter than the time the current flowed through the coil of the magnet. If, on the otherhand, the current used is very strong, the soft iron is rapidly magnetised and the armatureattracted. But the magnetism lasts a considerable interval after the current has been broken. Thus,it takes longer for the spring to draw back the armature after the current has been broken that ittook the magnet to attract it after the current had been closed, and the time recorded by the handsis longer than the time the current flowed through the coil of the magnet. If the strength of thecurrent is not properly adjusted, the times recorded may be over 1/10 sec. too long or too short,an error as large as the whole length of the reaction-time. It is, however, possible so to adjust therelation between the strength of the spring and the strength of the current that it takes exactly aslong for the magnet to attract the armature after the current has been closed as it takes the springto draw it back after the current has been broken, and in this case the hands record the exact timethe current flowed through the coil of the magnet. This can be done empirically by determiningthe time the current has been closed, and then so adjusting the strength of the spring and thecurrent that the hands record the correct time. For this purpose (as well as for others later to bedescribed) I have used an instrument, which, with reference to the use for which it was firstdevised,[3] I call a Gravity-Chronometer.It consists (Fig. 1) of two heavy brass columns 30 cm. high and 10 cm. apart, standingperpendicular to the base. The columns can be set exactly perpendicular by means of the threescrews on which the apparatus stands. Wedge-shaped grooves are worked in the columns, and inthese a heavy soft iron screen slides without appreciable friction. This screen is held up by anelectromagnet, which can be adjusted at any height desired. When the current passing through
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Cerebral Operations
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