The Origin and Nature of Emotions [40]
great pain and muscular response, there is no response to the swiftly moving bullet.
The response to contact stimuli then depends always on the presence of nociceptors in the affected part of the body and to the type of the contact. Powerful response is made to crushing injury by environmental forces; to such injuring contacts as resemble the impacts of fighting; to such tearing injuries as resemble those made by teeth and claws (Fig. 9). On the other hand, the sharp division of tissue by cutting produces no adaptive response; indeed, one might imagine that the body could be cut to pieces by a superlatively sharp knife applied at tremendous speed without material adaptive response.
These examples indicate how the history of the phylogenetic experiences of the human race may be learned by a study of the position and the action of the nociceptors, just as truly as the study of the arrangement and variations in the strata of the earth's crust discloses to us geologic history.
These adaptive responses to stimuli are the result of the action of the brain-cells, which are thus continually played upon by the stimuli of environment. The energy stored in the brain-cells in turn activates the various organs and parts of the body. If the environmental impacts are repeated with such frequency that the brain-cells have no time for restoration between them, the energy of the cells becomes exhausted and a condition of shock results. Every action of the body may thus be analyzed into a stimulation of ceptors, a consequent discharge of brain-cell energy, and a final adaptive activation of the appropriate part. Walking, running, and their modifications constitute an adaptation of wonderful perfection, for, as Sherrington has shown, the adaptation of locomotion consists of a series of reflexes-- ceptors in the joints, in the limb, and in the foot being stimulated by variations in pressure.
As we have shown, the bene- and nociceptors orientate man to all forms of physical contact--the former GUIDE HIM TO the acquisition of food and to sexual contact; the latter DIRECT HIM FROM contacts of a harmful nature. The distance ceptors, on the other hand, adapt man to his distant environment by means of communication through unseen forces--ethereal vibrations produce sight; air waves produce sound; microscopic particles of matter produce smell. The advantage of the distance ceptors is that they allow time for orientation, and because of this great advantage the majority of man's actions are responses to their adequate stimuli. As Sherrington has stated, the greater part of the brain has been developed by means of stimuli received through the special senses, especially through the light ceptors, the optic nerves.
We have just stated that by means of the distance ceptors animals and man orientate themselves to their distant environment. As a result of the stimulation of the special senses chase and escape are effected, fight is conducted, food is secured, and mates are found. It is obvious, therefore, that the distance ceptors are the primary cause of continuous and exhausting expenditures of energy. On the other hand, stimuli applied to contact ceptors lead to short, quick discharges of nervous energy. The child puts his hand in the fire and there is an immediate and complete response to the injuring contact; he sees a pot of jam on the pantry shelf and a long train of continued activities are set in motion, leading to the acquisition of the desired object.
The contact ceptors do not at all promote the expenditure of energy in the chase or in fight, in the search for food or for mates. Since the distance ceptors control these activities, one would expect to find that they control also those organs whose function is the production of energizing internal secretions. Over these organs--the thyroid, the adrenals, the hypophysis--the contact ceptors have no control. Prolonged laboratory experimentation seems to prove this postulate. According to our observations, no amount of physical trauma inflicted upon animals will cause hyperthyroidism
The response to contact stimuli then depends always on the presence of nociceptors in the affected part of the body and to the type of the contact. Powerful response is made to crushing injury by environmental forces; to such injuring contacts as resemble the impacts of fighting; to such tearing injuries as resemble those made by teeth and claws (Fig. 9). On the other hand, the sharp division of tissue by cutting produces no adaptive response; indeed, one might imagine that the body could be cut to pieces by a superlatively sharp knife applied at tremendous speed without material adaptive response.
These examples indicate how the history of the phylogenetic experiences of the human race may be learned by a study of the position and the action of the nociceptors, just as truly as the study of the arrangement and variations in the strata of the earth's crust discloses to us geologic history.
These adaptive responses to stimuli are the result of the action of the brain-cells, which are thus continually played upon by the stimuli of environment. The energy stored in the brain-cells in turn activates the various organs and parts of the body. If the environmental impacts are repeated with such frequency that the brain-cells have no time for restoration between them, the energy of the cells becomes exhausted and a condition of shock results. Every action of the body may thus be analyzed into a stimulation of ceptors, a consequent discharge of brain-cell energy, and a final adaptive activation of the appropriate part. Walking, running, and their modifications constitute an adaptation of wonderful perfection, for, as Sherrington has shown, the adaptation of locomotion consists of a series of reflexes-- ceptors in the joints, in the limb, and in the foot being stimulated by variations in pressure.
As we have shown, the bene- and nociceptors orientate man to all forms of physical contact--the former GUIDE HIM TO the acquisition of food and to sexual contact; the latter DIRECT HIM FROM contacts of a harmful nature. The distance ceptors, on the other hand, adapt man to his distant environment by means of communication through unseen forces--ethereal vibrations produce sight; air waves produce sound; microscopic particles of matter produce smell. The advantage of the distance ceptors is that they allow time for orientation, and because of this great advantage the majority of man's actions are responses to their adequate stimuli. As Sherrington has stated, the greater part of the brain has been developed by means of stimuli received through the special senses, especially through the light ceptors, the optic nerves.
We have just stated that by means of the distance ceptors animals and man orientate themselves to their distant environment. As a result of the stimulation of the special senses chase and escape are effected, fight is conducted, food is secured, and mates are found. It is obvious, therefore, that the distance ceptors are the primary cause of continuous and exhausting expenditures of energy. On the other hand, stimuli applied to contact ceptors lead to short, quick discharges of nervous energy. The child puts his hand in the fire and there is an immediate and complete response to the injuring contact; he sees a pot of jam on the pantry shelf and a long train of continued activities are set in motion, leading to the acquisition of the desired object.
The contact ceptors do not at all promote the expenditure of energy in the chase or in fight, in the search for food or for mates. Since the distance ceptors control these activities, one would expect to find that they control also those organs whose function is the production of energizing internal secretions. Over these organs--the thyroid, the adrenals, the hypophysis--the contact ceptors have no control. Prolonged laboratory experimentation seems to prove this postulate. According to our observations, no amount of physical trauma inflicted upon animals will cause hyperthyroidism