Modern studies on the brain

The brain is a part of nature in animals of all descriptions, and the subject of experimental inquiry.
The modern period is defined as a time after the beginning of the industrial revolution, which is dated at sometime about 1800.
A distinction between humans and brutes
Locke wrote A Treatise on Human Understanding, in which he commented:
Primitive state
The early form of brain in Homo sapiens, as it exists in foetal life is precisely similar to the brain in a fish, as it exists in its permanent adult state (1828).
Acephali
Monsters destitute of brain, are frequently born strong and fat, several of them live some time after birth (Spurzheim 1825).
Fishes
The lancelot or amphioxus
The fish was stated to hardly possess a brain, by Darwin (1872).
As food
In discussing the belief that "fish contains certain elements which are adapted in a special manner to renovate the brain and so to support mental labour", a prominent physiologist says: " There is no foundation whatever for this view" (1898).
Theory
Insanity
A rotary swing, which causes vertigo and nausea, was proposed by Darwin as a theoretical treatment for insanity (1833).
Experiments
Tortoise
The brain of a tortoise is extremely small. In an experiment involving removing the brain of a land-tortoise, the tortoise carried on to live six months, fresh-water tortoises, when subject to the same experiment continued, but did not live so long. When the head of a tortoise was cut off a tortoise entirely, it lived for 23 days (1831).
Greenland whale
According to Rudolphi, the brain of a full grown Greenland whale (Balena Mysticetus) seventy-five feet long, weighs only 5lbs. 10oz 4drs (1843). In the same publication of 1843, Metcalfe states:
A frog in coitus
Jean Cruveilhier took a male frog when in coïtu and removed its head, the frog continued in the act in respect to muscular motion, seemed to progress nearly as well as prior to being deprived of its head (1849).
Homo sapiens
Properties of 1819
The nature of the substance of the brain and nerves has not yet been satisfactorily ascertained (1819).
Experiments on the nervous system of man and animals
M.Flourins performed experiments on these, and his findings were published in Italy 1819 (republished in France 1822).
1834
the course of the medullary fibres
Rolando discovered the course of these. Drs Gall and Spurzheim had given an explanation of this already (1835).
anatomical discoveries with regards to the functions of the brain
The works of Froriep, Bischoff, Ackermann, Walter, professor at Berlin; Walther, professor at Bonne; BlÉ¶de, Muller, Meyer of Naples, Démongeon, all appeared before 1807. On the fourteenth of May 1808, the Institute of France was presented with a memoir containing anatomical discoveries (1835).
1844
Phrenology
Was not discovered by dissection of the brain; but by observing the agreement between the disposition of homo sapiens and the lower animals, and the forms of their heads. The brain was afterwards dissected, and its structure examined with great care, in the hope it would shed some light on the subject. We are indebted to phrenology for all useful knowledge concerning the anatomy of the brain (1857).
1871
Cromwell, Byron, Cavier
Through thorough investigation it was discovered that these people had the heaviest brains (1876).

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