The Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Miscellaneous PapersCrile, George Washington
Science
The Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Miscellaneous Papers
Crile, George Washington
Emotions; Psychophysiology
From the strong affinity of the brain-cells for adrenalin which was
manifested in our experiments we may strongly suspect that the Nissl
substance is a volatile, extremely unstable combination of certain
elements of the brain-cells and adrenalin, because the adrenals alone
do not take the Nissl stain and the brain deprived of adrenalin
also does not take Nissl stain. The consumption of the Nissl
substance in the brain-cells is lessened or prevented by morphin,
as is the output of adrenalin; and the consumption of the Nissl
substance is also lessened or prevented by nitrous oxid.
But morphin does not prevent the action of adrenalin injected
into the circulation, hence the control of morphin over energy
expenditure is exerted directly on the brain-cells. Apparently morphin
and nitrous oxid both act through this interference with oxidation
in the brain. We, therefore, conclude that within a certain range
of acidity of the blood adrenalin can unite with the brain-cells
only through the mediation of oxygen, and that the combination
of adrenalin, oxygen, and certain brain-cell constituents
causes the electric discharge that produces heat and motion.
In this interrelation of the brain and the adrenals we have what is,
perhaps, the master key to the automatic action of the body.
Through the special senses environmental stimuli reach the brain
and cause it to liberate energy, which in turn activates certain
other organs and tissues, among which are the adrenals. The increased
output of adrenalin activates the brain to still greater activity,
as a result of which again the entire sympathetic nervous system
is further activated, as is manifested by increased heart action,
more rapid respiration, raised blood-pressure, increased output
of glycogen, increased power of the muscles to metabolize glucose, etc.
If this conclusion be well founded, we should find corroborative evidence
in histologic changes in that great storehouse of potential energy,
the liver, as a result of the application of each of the adequate
stimuli which produced brain-cell and adrenal changes.
The Liver
Prolonged insomnia, prolonged physical exertion, infections, injections of
toxins and of strychnin, rage and fear, physical injury under anesthesia,
in fact, all the adequate stimuli which affected the brain and
the adrenals, produced constant and identical histologic changes
in the liver--the cells stained poorly, the cytoplasm was vacuolated,
the nuclei were crenated, the cell membranes were irregular, the most
marked changes occurring in the cells of the periphery of the lobules
(Figs. 69 and 70). In prolonged insomnia the striking changes
in the liver were repaired by one seance of sleep.
Are the histologic changes in the liver cells due to metabolism or toxic
products, or are they "work" changes incident to the conversion of latent
into kinetic energy? Are the brain, adrenals, and liver interdependent?
The following facts establish the answers to these queries:
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