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
In our extensive study of the brain in its relation to the production
of energy and the consequent exhaustion caused by fear and rage;
by the injection of foreign proteins, of bacterial toxins,
and of strychnin; by anaphylaxis; by the injection of thyroid extract,
of adrenalin, and of morphin, we found that, with the exception
of morphin, each of these agents produced identical changes in
the brain-cells. As we believed that the adrenals were intimately
associated with the brain in its activities, we concluded that
the adrenals also must have been affected by each of these agents.
To prove this relation, we administered the above-mentioned
stimuli to animals and studied their effects upon the adrenals
by functional, histologic, and surgical methods, the functional
tests being made by Cannon's method.
Functional Study of the Adrenals.--Our method of applying
the Cannon test for adrenalin was as follows: (_a_) The blood
of the animals was tested before the application of the stimulus.
If this test was negative, then (_b_) the stimulus was applied
and the blood again tested. If this second test was negative,
a small amount of adrenalin was added. If a positive reaction
was then given, the negative result was accepted as conclusive.
(_c_) If the control test was negative, then the stimulus was given.
If the blood after stimulation gave a positive result for adrenalin,
a second test of the same animal's blood was made twenty-five minutes
or more later. If the second test was negative, then the positive
result of the first test was accepted as conclusive.
We have recorded 66 clear-cut experiments on dogs, which show that
after fear and rage, after anaphylaxis, after injections of indol
and skatol, of leucin and creatin, of the toxins of diphtheria and
colon bacilli, of streptococci and staphylococci, of foreign proteins,
and of strychnin, the Cannon test for adrenalin was positive.
The test was negative after trauma under anesthesia, and after
intravenous injections of thyroid extract, of thyroglobin,
and of the juices of various organs injected into the same animal from
which the organs were taken. Placental extract gave a positive test.
The test was sometimes positive after electric stimulation
of the splanchnic nerves. On the other hand, if the nerve supply
to the adrenals had been previously divided, or if the adrenals
had been previously excised, then the Cannon test was negative
after the administration of each of the foregoing adequate stimuli.
Blood taken directly from the adrenal vein gave a positive result,
but under deep morphinization the blood from the adrenal vein
was negative, and under deep morphinization the foregoing adequate
stimuli were negative.
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