The Efforts of Robert Whytt, William Cullen, Franz Joseph Gall

question 23

Multiple Choice

The efforts of Robert Whytt, William Cullen, Franz Joseph Gall, and others to contend that mental processes could be accounted for by bodily processes alone and that the brain and mind were not separate entities was strongly resisted because

• A)the church had control over access to research facilities and equipment, and ideas deviating from the traditional Cartesian method were not tolerated.
• B)the development of an empirically valid method to test such a theory had not yet been developed, and the idea was so foreign to people that it was disregarded.
• C)many people thought that higher mental processes, such as will and intellect, were unique to humans and therefore required a more elaborate explanation.
• D)to follow the beliefs of scientists, who by their nature deviated from the teachings of the church, often resulted in being shunned by family and friends.

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Definitions:

Antagonist

A molecule that binds to a receptor but does not activate it, thereby blocking action of agonist molecules or inhibiting the function of an enzyme.

Curare

A plant extract used by South American indigenous peoples on arrows and darts for hunting, which acts as a muscle relaxant by blocking neurotransmission.

Physostigmine

Physostigmine is a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor used medically to increase acetylcholine levels in the treatment of certain disorders, such as glaucoma and myasthenia gravis.

Poison Arrowheads

Historical weapons used for hunting and warfare, often coated with natural toxins to incapacitate or kill the target.