l^/\ 190 L 88 tntljeCitpofllrtogork COLLEGE OF PHYSICLANS AND SURGEONS LIBRARY Gift of Dr. 0. S. Strong ^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Open Knowledge Commons http://www.archive.org/details/buildinghumanintOOIora Building Human Intelligence "Only that may enter our mind which has made its way through the senses." St. Thomas Aquinas BY DR, ARNOLD LORAND Carlsbad, Czecho-Slovakia. Author of "Old Age Deferred" and "Health and Longevity Through Rational Diet." PHILADELPHIA F. A. DAVIS COMPANY, Publishers 1922 COPYRIGHT, 1917 BY F. A. DAVIS COMPANY Copyright, Great Britain. All Rights Reservod Philadelphia. Pa., U. S. A. Press of F. A. Davis Company 1914-16 Cherry Street PREFACE. It may seem rather daring at first blush to write a book on such a topic. If, however, human intelligence, as nobody can deny, depends on the normal function of the brain, there can be no reason why the latter could not just as well be influenced by a number of hygienic and therapeutic means, as, for instance, the functions of the heart or of the kidney. In continuation of my books on a hygienic mode of living and correct feeding, I now have made an attempt to suggest a number of means for the health of the mind based upon a hygienic-physiologic founda- tion, as even very distinguished scholars sin against the simplest requirements of hygiene and carry on such a destructive wasting of their mental faculties that they become used up prematurely. Being engaged with many complex questions, these gentlemen sin against a sensible mode oi living, and the consequence is a premature breakdown. It is, therefore, no wonder that so many great scholars and naturalists manifest signs of arteriosclerosis of the blood-vessels of the brain too soon, and become mentally diseased. Still worse is it that, through an entirely wrong and unhygienic way of education and instruction, which violates the laws of the most elementary hygiene and reason, a destruction of the mental faculties of children is carried on under the pro- tection and sanction of the State authorities. Everything is taught in our school but plain human common sense ! By over- taxing the delicate organism of the children with dry, scholastic knowledge, without taking into consideration practical demon- stration and the exercising of the senses, the foundation is often laid for serious nervous diseases; and, in cases where there is an hereditary disposition, even to mental diseases. Such dis- eases may develop slowly without being recognized, and medical (iii) iv Preface. aid is principally sought when it is too late: insanity has broken out or violent deeds, murder, etc., have been committed. Indeed, there is no other branch of medicine in which the con- dition of prophylaxis is in such a deficient state. The first signs of insanity are generally ignored or mistaken, and, therefore, it is no wonder that the therapeutics of mental diseases, partic- ularly of the sequel disease of syphilis — progressive paralysis^ is so little advanced, since help is sought only when irreparable injuries have already taken place. And still this disease, as well as many other serious mental and nervous diseases, in all prob- ability, could be prevented and perhaps healed by rational care of the nervous system, and by maintaining physical and mental health ; and by attending to it very early many a case of neuras- thenia could be improved, and some, perhaps, cured. While it is true that physical health is the best guarantee for a healthy mental condition, which is also expressed in the saying of the Romans, "Mens sana in corpore sano,"^ it is, never- theless, shown that a surprisingly large number of great men, particularly of the great thinkers and scholars such as Kant, Helmholtz, Newton, Watt, and others, have been sickly chil- dren, and often remained weak their whole lives long ; yet this in no way affected either their mental faculties or their longevity. To illustrate some of my statements I found it necessary to delve somewhat more into the modes of life and habits of some of the great men. The necessary data were found in a number of treatises by contemporaries of these mental heroes, as well as in the writings of Moebius and W. Oswald. I have also used a number of encyclopedias, which were placed at my disposal in the British Museum, in London, and in the Royal Libraries, at The Hague, in Holland, particularly the very correct and thor- ough biographies found in the Encyclopedia Britannica. and Hispano Americana. The treatment of such a new subject as this, in regard to which nothing exists in the whole of literature, presents indeed 1 A sound mind in a sound body. Preface. v many difficulties. This is particularly the case concerning a sub- ject which lies somewhat out of the usual sphere of activity of a physician in my position, and, therefore, a severe critic may have ample opportunity to ruffle my feathers. If he will admit, however, in his just criticism, that there is at least a single good thought in this work which may further the common welfare, I shall consider the goal for which I have been striving in the preparation of this work as having been attained. LORAND. CONTENTS. I. THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS UPON THE FACULTY OF THINKING. CHAPTER I. „,^^ PAGE Blood Circulatory Conditions in the Brain, and Their Influence UPON THE Faculty of Thinking 1 CHAPTER II. The Influence of the Glands of Internal Secretion upon the Faculty of Thinking and the Origin of Mental Disorders. 16 CHAPTER III. The Influence of the Nasal Chambers upon the Circulatory Con- ditions IN the Brain and the Ability of Thinking 39 CHAPTER IV. The Influence of Metabolism upon the Faculty of Thinking 48 CHAPTER V. The Influence of Lime and Phosphorus Metabolism upon the Faculty of Thinking and the Origin of Mental Diseases 52 CHAPTER VI. The Influence of Nourishment upon the Intelligence 57 CHAPTER VII. Influence of Climate, Seasons of the Year and Weather upon the Ability to Think and Mental Activity 62 CHAPTER VIII. Influence of Heredity upon the Ability of Thinking 67 CHAPTER IX. The Influence of Age upon the Intelligence 74 (vii) viii Contents. II. THE INFLUENCE OF SEXUAL IMPULSE AND THE SEXUAL DIFFERENCE UPON THE INTELLIGENCE. CHAPTER X. PAGE The Influence of Sexual Impulse, the Excess of It and Its Absence, upon the Intelligence 84 CHAPTER XL The Influence of Suppressed Sexual Impulse and Onanism 92 CHAPTER XII. The Influence of Sexual Difference on the Faculty of Thinking — The Intelligence of a Man and That of a Woman 97 III. HARMFUL INFLUENCES UPON THE THINK- ING ABILITY AND THEIR TREATMENT AC- CORDING TO THE NEWER PRINCIPLES. CHAPTER XIII. Causes of Insanity and Their Pre\tntion 105 CHAPTER XIV. The Influence of Alcohol upon the Mental Faculties 115 CHAPTER XV. Influence of Sleepiness and Sleeplessness and Its Rational Treat- ment 125 CHAPTER XVI. The Influence of Migraine and Headaches in General upon the Faculty of Thinking and Their Rational Treatment 132 CHAPTER XVII. Consequences of Mental Overstrain and Fatigue, Their Pre\'ention and Treatment 140 CHAPTER XVIII. Influence of the Nervous Sequel Diseases of Syphilis — Pkogressi\'e Paralysis, Its Prevention and Treatment 146 Contents. Ix CHAPTER XIX. The Nature and Origin of Paralytic Dementia 156 CHAPTER XX. The Influence of Nervousness, Neurasthenia and Hysteria, and THE Treatment of This Condition According to the Newer Principles 161 CHAPTER XXI. The Influence of the Diseases of the Thyroid Gland 170 CHAPTER XXII. Influence of Epilepsy and Its Treatment According to Modern Principles 186 IV. INCREASE OF THINKING ABILITY BY HYGIENIC AND THERAPEUTIC MEANS. CHAPTER XXIII. Promotion of Mental Faculties by Hygienic Means 190 CHAPTER XXIV. Hygienic Means to Improve the Blood-circulation in the Brain 202 CHAPTER XXV. The Importance of Taking Care of the Nose and About Occasional Snuffing 208 CHAPTER XXVI. The Favorable Influence of a Sunny, High Altitude upon the Intelligence 212 CHAPTER XXVII. Hints in Regard to the Best Possible Utilization of Sunlight, and How TO Carry Out Sun-baths 221 CHAPTER XXVIII. Furthering of Mental Faculties by Means of Certain Drugs 226 CHAPTER XXIX. Improvement of Mental Faculties by the Use of Extracts from Animal Organs 233 X Contents. V. THE POWER OF THINKING, AND RATIONAL THINKING— THEIR DEVELOPMENT, PARTIC- ULARLY IN PRACTISING THE SENSES. CHAPTER XXX. p^^^ The Seat of Thinking Power and the Process of Thinking 242 CHAPTER XXXI. Rational Thinking 256 CHAPTER XXXII. External and Internal Signs of High and Low Intelligence........ 265 CHAPTER XXXIII. The Importance of Exercising the Senses 274 CHAPTER XXXIV. The Advantage of Extensi\'e Travelling as Practical Exercises for the Senses 281 VI. MEMORY AND ITS SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT. CHAPTER XXXV. The Foundation of Memory and Its Dependence upon the Condi- tions OF Blood-circulation in the Brain-cortex 286 CHAPTER XXXVI. Conditions Required for a Good Memory 294 CHAPTER XXXVII. Causes of Weak Memory and Its Treatment 307 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Some Hints to Facilitate Memory 314 CHAPTER XXXIX. The Art of Forgetting and Treatment of Bad Habits 318 Contents. xi VII. RATIONAL MENTAL WORK. CHAPTER XL. „,^^ PAGE Rational Learning and Studying 324 CHAPTER XLI. The Influence of Age upon the Ability to Learn — Learning as Done by Children and by the Old 331 CHAPTER XLII. Rational Method of Lecturing and Instructing 335 CHAPTER XLIII. A Few Words About Rational Writing of Textbooks and Scientific Treatises 344 CHAPTER XLIV. The Rational Studying of Foreign Languages 347 CHAPTER XLV. Hints About Composition of the Food in Strenuous Mental Work.. 356 CHAPTER XLVI. Rational Food for Musicians 361 VIII. RATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF IN- TELLIGENCE IN CHILDREN. CHAPTER XLVII. Hints About Mental Education of Children — The Harm of Pun- ishment 364 CHAPTER XLVIII. Bad and Dull Pupils — Causes of Dullness and Its Treatment..... 374 CHAPTER XLIX. Diligence, Laziness, and Absent-mindedness — Treatment of Lazi- ness AND Absent-mindedness 381 CHAPTER L. Hints in Regard to the Rational Feeding of School-children 389 xii Contents. CHAPTER LI. PAGE Great Men Who Were Sickly Children — Longevity of Great Men.. 393 CHAPTER LH. Great Men Who Were Eager Readers in Childhood — The Advan- tage OF Much Reading, and of Diligent Private Studying 398 CHAPTER LHL Great Men Who Were Bad Pupils 406 IX. HYGIENIC PRINCIPLES FOR A REFORM OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, PARTIC- ULARLY IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS (HIGH SCHOOLS). CHAPTER LIV. Reform of the High-school Curriculum on Hygienic, Physiological Principles 412 CHAPTER LV. The Necessity of an Expert Examination of the Organs of Sense AND the Intelligence of Pupils Before Entering the Gymnasium (High School) 417 CHAPTER LVI. The Obligatory Training in Art Needlework, and Manual Training 422 CHAPTER LVII. The Necessity of Outdoor Schools 427 CHAPTER LVIIL Injury Caused by Examinations from the Hygienic Standpoint, Particularly of the Examination for Graduation 429 CHAPTER LIX. The Necessity of Educating Ingenious Children of the Poor at the State's Expense • 434 CHAPTER LX. Biographies of Great Men as an Obligatory Subject of Instruction IN Our Schools 439 Index 445 THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS UPON THE FACULTY OF THINKING. CHAPTER L Blood Circulatory Conditions in the Brain, and Their Influence upon the Faculty of Thinking. It is a peculiar fact that frequently in various kinds of mental diseases, as for instance in melancholia, a striking im- provement of the condition, sometimes even a cure, may occur when the patient becomes affected with an attack of fever. A similar fact may frequently be observed after an artificially produced fever, — for instance, after a tuberculin injection. We must, therefore, assume that the brain-cortex, the seat of thinking- faculty, may be influenced by fever. What characterizes fever is an elevation of the blood circulation, an augmentation and acceleration of it; high temperature and a quickened pulse are its most important distinguishing features. A greater flushing of the tissues with blood in fever may be considered a useful arrangement of Nature to avert the inva- sion of the tissues by minute organisms or any other harmful substances.^ When, therefore, in patients affected with mental diseases, associated with depressive symptoms, an improvement of the thinking power is observed, this can be very well attrib- uted tO' a better flushing of the brain-cortex with blood, to an augmented blood-supply. In subjects with low mentality a high fever may some- times produce very beneficial results in improving their mental development. Such a case is mentioned by Tissot. A very stupid young man, who could not be made to comprehend even 1 Lorand, Clinical Observations on the Origin of Fever, Lancet, Novem- ber, 1907, und das Altern und seine Behandlung, IV Aufl., Seite 16. (1) Human Intelligence. the relation of an adjective to the noun, happened to become affected with a malignant fever and was, a few days later, able to speak very good Latin without applying too much thought to it, and in conversation he developed ideas, such as never came to him before.^ Thus in exciting conditions during delirium and mania, in which a flooding of the brain-cortex with blood may be assumed, sometimes an extraordinary increase of mental abil- ity may ensue. Plato, in this respect says, in his "Phaedra," that delirium is actually not a bad thing at all, but rather a blessing sent by the gods. It is a well-known fact that interpreters of the divine ora- cles (soothsayers) of Delphi and Dodona gave the greatest services to the inhabitants of Greece during a state of delirium, whereas in a normal state they were of very little use to them. It may sometimes be observed that men of very moderate mental faculties exhibit an enormous increase of some facul- ties when they become demented. In conditions of maniacal exaltation there can even be revealed the ability of a genius. Marce^ tells about a case of a young woman of a very mod- erate intellect who, during an attack of mania, wrote letters to her husband, which for eloquence and emotional style could very well be set side by side with the "Nouvelle Heloise" of Rousseau. The remarkable thing was, that when the patient quieted down and the attack was over the letters became of the usual form, and in comparison with those written during the attack were as if written by an entirely different person. Morel* observed in some hysterical and epileptical patients dur- ing their state of exaltation an enormous activity of intelli- gence. Thus one of his patients, a young man, composed in one night a piece of music, and at another time a drama, which were of particular beauty. A young hysterical woman could 2 Tissot, Des nerfs et leurs maladies, p. 133. 3 Marce, nach Lombroso, L'homme de genie. Paris, 1909, S. 247. 4 Morel, Traite des maladies mentales, 1858. Influence of Blood Circulation in the Brain. 3 recite verbatim during the period of exaltation many sermons to which she had Hstened, but when she became entirely qui- escent it was impossible for her to repeat even a few lines, E. Frank^ observed a young girl of fourteen years, who was afflicted with religious mania; she used to listen for some time to missionary sermons, and was able to talk about theo- logical subjects as if she had studied theology; she was also able to disprove, in an intelligent manner, all the opposing arguments. It is not rarely reported that artists, mentally abnormal, have created masterpieces which have gained world-wide rec- ognition while they were in a state of exaltation. As a very instructive example in that respect may be considered the Greek Theotocopoulos, who lived for a long time in Spain and Italy, and who became famous under the name of Greeko (the Greek). (In the galleries of Prado and Madrid and other places his very celebrated masterpieces may be seen.) I have in my possession an exceedingly wonderful pen draw- ing by an insane man whom I observed in the insane asylum of Nizza. His mind was so weak that I could keep up no conversation whatever with him. When, however, he became excited he was able to make the most beautiful drawings, for example, ideally beautiful heads of children with curly hair. That during the state of exaltation the entirely irrespon- sible insane may become very intelligent was also frequently observed by Leuret. He inferred a particularly high grade of intelligence in some of his patients, because he was able to observe them only during the attack of mania, but several who had distinguished themselves by ingenious ideas during an attack proved, after having been cured, to be entirely ordinary kind of men, and in regard to intellect and mentality stood far below the level shown during the attack. A very instructive case is the one reported by Esquirol of ^ E. Frank, Pathologic interne (after Lombroso). Human Intelligence. a demented general. In the state of exaltation he discovered a new cannon which was afterward adopted by the army au- thorities. During his hours of quiescence, however, he dropped from his high intellectual state, and only wrote comedies and vaudevilles which were entirely disconnected. Paradoxical as it may seem, there are men who become ingenious only when they lose the very low grade of intellect which they ordinarily may have. This is shown by the exam- ple of a woman observed by Winslow :^ when confined to the asylum she was a poetess, but when she was discharged as cured, she became a very prosaic housekeeper. The same author also observed a man who was so stupid that he could not manage simple addition examples, but during his attacks of mania he became a mathematician of extraordinary ability. The state of inspiration in which, according to the usual assumption, artists and poets are able to do their best work, is also really only a condition of exaltation which comes very near to a mild fever. During fever, therefore, under the influ- ence of overabundant supply of blood to the brain-cortex, in consequence of a congestion in the latter, an abnormal stimula- tion of the thinking power may occur. Of course, in this case various toxins also play a certain role. That a great increase of blood-supply to the brain, a con- gestion of it, may exercise a favorable influence upon the abil- ity to think has already been assumed by Aristotle.'^ He men- tions that through this cause men of quite ordinary intellect became poets, prophets and sages. The process of thinking itself, as we know from the famous experiment of ^losso,^ causes an increased blood-sup- ply to the brain. He had a man stretched horizontally on a board which was supported by a scale-like arrangement, and 6 After Lombroso, cited in L'homme de genie, 4th ed. Paris, 1909, Seite, 292. ''' Aristoteles, De Pronostico, Bd. i, p. 7. 8 Mosso, Sulla circolazione del sangue nel cervello dell' uomo. 1880. Influence of Blood Circulation in the Brain. 5 every time when the man was made to read something or to think of something, the head end of the scale dropped down. Mosso^ also studied the movements of the brain through an open wound in the scalp, and, after him, others, as, for in- stance, Frank, Roy, Sherrington, have done the same. They have found that when the man read, or was figuring or was thinking of some problem, the brain, due to the increased blood- supply and elevation of the pressure, protruded through such a wound in the scalp. Mosso has also proved, by means of a very fine measuring instrument, that the act of thinking causes the temperature of the brain to rise. Thus we see that for the process of thinking blood is required, and this must be sup- plied in sufficient quantity, because when the brain receives too little of it, as it is the case, for instance, after a loss of blood or in anemia, unconsciousness takes place. When we have such a case in a pale, anemic girl, and we place her in a horizontal position, then more blood flows to the brain, and with it con- sciousness , and the thinking power return again. In case of decapitation when the blood runs out from the head the con- sciousness is also lost. The story that, after execution, the face of the guillotined Charlotte Corday became red with shame upon being slapped by the executioner must, as the great an- atomist HyrtP*' very justly states, be untrue, for as the execu- tioner held the head high in thei air all o£ the blood rushed out of it at once. When, on the other hand, the flow of blood to the brain is great it may be followed by an increased mental excitement, which may even reach a degree of confusion, as happens in fever (delirium) or in alcohol intoxication. If, however, a rich flow of the blood to the brain occurs in subjects previously melancholic and imbecilic, w^here, as a rule, the circulation is a weaker one, then, as the examples above mentioned show, an improvement of the mental condition may result, at least dur- 9 Mosso, Die Temperatur des Gehirns. 1899. 10 Hyrtl, Lehrbuch der topographischen Anatomic. Wien, 1874. Human Intelligence. ing the time of increased circulation. We thus see that the process of thinking is very much influenced by the conditions of blood circulation in the brain. We must, therefore, take care that during the process of thinking the brain be sufficiently sup- plied with blood, and that the head assumes a position which, as much as possible, facilitates the flow of blood to the brain. We, instinctively as it were, bow our heads forward dur- ing strenuous thinking and support our bent- forward head with our hands. This is the position in which the artists generally represent a person engaged in thought. Some distinguished thinkers could best concentrate their thoughts on problems while lying down; thus, for instance, Descartes remained in bed daily until eleven o'clock, and he advised the distinguished mathe- matician Pascal to do the same. Descartes was, as a child, very sickly, and was confined to bed for years. In this con- nection- one is reminded of the fact that so many of the great thinkers have been sickly during childhood, some of them being confined to bed for months. Rossini made his compositions lying in bed, and Leibnitz used to lie down flat upon the floor when he was thinking out various problems. Schiller placed his feet in ice-cold water so as to be able ^to work better. We know that this furthers the blood congestion in the brain. Bishop Bossuet, who was distinguished for elocutionary abil- ity, on the other hand, used to wrap his head up with hot towels when he was thinking about a thesis. Under the influ- ence of enthusiasm, inspiration, frequently the greatest ideas, the most powerful thoughts occur. This is a condition orig- inating from an emotion, and is similar to a fever, whereby the pulse becomes accelerated, the face glows, the eyes gleam, and the whole body very frequently feels hot. In a great many cases great works originate under the influence of such a mo- mentary exalted condition, such a blood congestion of the brain which may be caused by various kinds of impressions. When the great English historian Gibbon attended one evening the vespers of the Bare-footers in Rome, the songs of the Monks Influence of Blood Circulation in the Brain. 7 in the small church in the Capitol excited him so much that he became inspired with the idea to write his great work on the destruction of the Roman Empire; a master work, hardly equalled by any other book on history, exhibiting such a won- derful power of description and a vivid way of presentation as can rarely be found in any other similar work. There are various substances which influence the mental activity in a stimulating way, as, for instance, coffee and tea. In all probability the eff'ect of these depends on the favorable influence which they exercise on the blood circulation of the brain. This is proved by the fact that strong coffee and tea produce insomnia, a condition in which a dilation of the blood- vessels of the brain-cortex is presupposed. According to the experiments of ]\Iosso, during sleep there is a contraction of the blood-vessels of the brain-cortex, therefore a bloodless con- dition exists. In a patient with an open scalp-wound he observed a flat- tening of ,the brain-surface during sleep, but when the patient was dreaming a protuberation of the brain through the scalp- wound could be demonstrated. It is the general assumption that a dream is the process of continued thinking during sleep. This unconscious process of thinking does not usually occur during profound sleep when the blood-vessels of the cortex are fully contracted. AVe dream only during the time when the sleep is not yet very deep, or when on the verge of awaking, when the circulation through the cortex has not yet entirely ceased, or, as during the morning hours, when sleep becomes lighter, probably on account of the circulation becoming again gradually established. When the circulation in the cortex at- tains a degree of congestion, then the dreams become confused, the same as during fever. Alcohol intoxication represents a similar condition. At any rate, many demented patients act as if in a dream. We may well consider the state of mental confusion itself as a condition of dreaming in which the dreams are of a confused kind. Very often, even before fever sets in, 8 Human Intelligence. the dreams during the night assume a confused, bizarre form and then become very horrible, as I have been able several times to observe in myself, particularly before the beginning of a feverish angina. From experience I know, that when I am tortured with such dreams I can expect with a certainty an attack of angina the next day, so that I usually, early in the morning, take some quinine to prevent the attack or at least to ameliorate it. The filling of the cortex with blood caused by a beginning of fever has undoubtedly some connection with the confused character of the dreams, though some toxic sub- stance may also have some play. Based upon all these observations we come to the conclu- sion that everything which furthers the blood circulation to the brain-cortex acts upon the thinl