What we thought about how we thought- The Brain

In January 1858 and Dr. Bigelow goes to Boston to speak with and let doctors examined Phineas. They make a mold of Phineas’ face and discuss what happened and why it happened. Dr. Bigelow speaks with doctors and sort of makes a presentation about Phineas’ accident. Two main accumulations of doctors are intrigued by what Dr. Bigelow present. They come to their own conclusion of what happened and how it happened.

In the 1800s Franz Joseph Gall an Austrian Dr. makes the statement that intelligence and emotions are centered in the brain.

Long, long ago people said they “knew” emotions center in the heart, and the spleen controlled anger, and to me this is silly how nearly 300 years ago people said they “knew” for sure this is what happened in our body. Our thoughts about the body have changed just a bit.

In 1850 doctors however didn't know a lot about our body, they knew we had certain organs, they knew the skeletal makeup, but they were unclear about the brain exact functions.

The brain is covered by your cerebral cortex. Your daily functions are kept going by your brainstem, which connects into the spinal cord. The cortex is where all your emotions develop. You also remember, dream, speak and think in your cortex. You also experience your five senses in the cortex. All these things occur in your cortex, in the brain.

In 1850 doctors did not know much about cells, nerves, and neurons that were contained in the brain and spinal cord of the body. Messages and signals are transmitted through a person’s neuron. This was all unknown to them at time.

The two types of doctors examining Phineas each had very different thought processes. The one group referred to as the “Whole Brainers” thought the brain was a whole or one, and it was all connected somehow. The second group referred to as the “localizers” thought the brain was split into different sections and each section had a job. They thought specific “Organs” located in the brain were in charge of certain functions that occurred. They said that the “Organs of respect” and “kindness” were found right above the left eyebrow, which was where Phineas was struck, (They thought maybe this is why he has been acting different lately.) This group of doctors or “Localizers” found that the brain has 37 “Organs.” They concluded that if you have a strong organ, your skull will come out a little. If you had a week organ the skull will be indented in that spot. For example if your “Organ of Amativeness” has a strong bump after it then you have strong physical love. This thought process is known as phrenology. However the “Localizers” were incorrect about the “Organs” found in the brain, but they were correct about “Localization.” And as far as the “whole Brainers” thought process, they were incorrect about the brain as a whole, but correct about how it is all connected.

The brain does have many different functions found throughout the cortex which has many parts. The cortex allows you to pick out certain things, walk, and allow you to perform many other different tasks; it is all possible because of this part of the body which is found in your brain.