Guns Dont Teach People, People Teach People

ABSTRACT: Instruction in neurobiology can be enhanced by inclusion of historical context to the subject matter, and emphasis of situations where talented and observant people take advantage of circumstances to greatly advance scientific understanding. A common theme is how biomedical science is advanced by careful study of injury. Areas of the cerebral cortex commonly organize sensory information as figurative maps, with sensory inputs represented in regular patterns. The visual cortex is organized in this manner, and this was first understood as a result of both military technical innovation and careful scientific observation by a Japanese Ophthalmologist, Dr. Tatsuji Inouye. An appreciation of geopolitics circa 1900, military tactics and innovations associated with the Russian Mosin-Nagant model 1891 long rifle, illustrate conditions facilitating this initial appreciation of the visual cortex. This example also serves as a lesson in the importance of scientific communication, as limited accessibility of published results orphaned these findings. A major challenge of teaching is engaging students with the subject matter and finding ways to make the material stick. One useful strategy is associating a concept or topic with a tangible object that stands out and focuses attention. I have found that bringing a vintage Mosin-Nagant model 1891 rifle into class is successful in captivating student attention. I expect to keep this example in my instructional arsenal until pried from my cold dead fingers.

An observant person in the right circumstance:

The Russo-Japanese War (1904 -1905) grew out of rival Russian and Japanese imperial ambitions over Manchuria and Korea. The unexpected Japanese victory shaped the balance of power in East Asia and Japan's entry onto the world stage.

Presentation: 28.19SA

Why I come to class armed:

Geopolitical Factors:

Useful References: Adams DL and Horton JC (2001) What you see Book review of Inouye, T. (1909) Visual disturbances following gunshot wounds of the cortical visual area. Nature, London. 412:482-3. Fishman RS (1997) Gordon Holmes, the cortical retina, and the wounds of war. Doc Ophthalmol 93:928 Glickstein M and Whitteridge D (1987) Tatsuji Inouye and the mapping of the visual fields on the cerebral cortex. TINS 10:350353. Inouye T (1909) Die Sehstoerungen der kortlichen Sehsphaere. W. Engelmann Verlag, Leipzig. Inouye T (2000) Eye disturbances after gunshot injuries to the cortical visual pathways. Translated from the German by Glickstein M,and Fahle M. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kauffmann Jokl DH and Hiyama F (2007) Tatsuji Inouye-Topographer of the Visual Cortex. Exemplar of the Germany-Japan Ophthalmic Legacy of the Meiji Era. Neuro-Ophthalmology 31(3):33-43. Lanska DJ. (2009) Historical perspective: neurological advances from studies of war injuries and illnesses. Ann Neurol. 66(4):444-59. Lef A (2004) A historical review of the representation of the visual field in primary visual cortex with special reference to the neural mechanisms underlying macular sparing. Brain and Language 88(3): 268-278. Tubbs RS et al. (2011) Tatsuji Inouye: the minds eye. Childs Nervous System, Springer.

Dr. Michael B. Harris, Department of Biology and Wildlife,

Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Seeking the Endorsement of the National Rifle Association

Tactical Factors:

Both Russian and Japanese infantry employed entrenched linear tactics, exposing the heads of defensive solders to enemy fire.

Smokeless gunpowder, invented in 1884, facilitated higher muzzle velocities and flatter bullet trajectories, and introduced the new role of the concealed sniper firing from a distance.

Combat Helmets, although an ancient form of protective equipment were historically ineffective against firearms and fell out of use in the 1700s. Not until WWI did their use revive as defense from artillery.

Japanese infantry uniform in this conflict included a woolen cap with a brightly colored band; Blue with a yellow band in winter, tan with a red band in summer.

Imperial Russia adopted the Mosin-Nagant rifle in 1891. The "Vintovka Mosina" (Mosin Rifle; Mosin-Nagant model 1891) was a manually operated bolt-action, magazine fed rifle. It fired 7.62 mm ammunition at a muzzle velocity of 620 m/s, fed from an integral, single stack magazine, loaded from 5 round clip chargers. This rifle had a maximum range of approximately three kilometers, and was capable of effective aimed fire to ranges of 400-500 meters

Recently I decided to incorporate a description of Tatsuji Inouyes original work into a lecture on the visual cortex. To give emphasis, I also decided to illustrate this description by presenting my vintage Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 rifle. My institution draws students from rural Alaska where firearms are simply the tools of subsistence life. Fairbanks also hosts a large military population. Many students are veterans or military families. Many are interested in military history and the lessons to be learned from, and for the benefit of, our returning service men and women. Although generally restricted from campus, University of Alaska policy allows firearms to be included in appropriate supervised educational activities. When planning this lecture I consulted with University administration and police, who were completely supportive of using what could seem to be an unorthodox instructional tool. Such open-mindedness is a clear asset. I have since added examples of period Japanese military headgear, as well as a WWI German Mauser M98 rifle and Brodie Doughboy helmet to illustrate the complimentary work of Gordon Holmes. These resources are appreciated by my students and assist in making this subject stick. Students evaluate this lecture highly and I expect to keep this illustrative material in my instructional arsenal until pried from my cold dead fingers.

A new, small caliber cartridge was also adopted with a rimmed, bottlenecked case and a jacketed, blunt nose bullet. Cartridges fed into the receiver at a slight angle marring the surface of a soft projectile and reducing accuracy. This geometry lead to the adoption of jacketed bullets.

This combination commonly resulted in skull entry and exit wounds in a linear path, and lesion without significant damage

to surrounding brain tissue.

A cautionary tale of publication: The Meiji era (18681912) was a period in which Japan welcomed Western influences, with Germany being the primary conduit for dissemination of modern medical knowledge. After the war, Inouye traveled to Leipzig where he published his studies in 1909. Unfortunately the published monograph had limited circulation . This, along with geopolitical factors associated with World War I (1914-1918 ) likely contributed to limited exposure of this work.

Inouye invented a device (the cranio-coordinometer) to track the trajectory of bullet wounds. Studying the wounds and resulting visual deficits allowed Inouye to correlate visual cortex anatomy with functional visual fields. In so doing, he located the fovea, horizontal and vertical meridians, representations of the macula, and explanations for macular sparing.

Dr. Tatsuji Inouye (1881-1976) was the second son of Tatsuya Inouye, the first Eye Specialist in Japan. At the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war in 1905, Inouye served as a Medical Officer. As an Ophthalmologist, Dr Inouyes assignment was to assess the severity of visual losses suffered by Japanese soldiers .

British Neurologist Gordon Holmes independently investigated visual deficits associated with head wounds in Allied soldiers in WWI. Although Holms acknowledged Inouyes prior publication, he is generally considered the originator of human visual field maps

A photocopy of Inouyes original manuscript was discovered by Mitchell Glickstein in the Library of the Institute of Neurology in London. Glickstein reintroduced Inouyes work and published the first English translation of the original manuscript with Manfried Fahle as a special issue of BRAIN, in 2000. Only since then has Inouyes innovation and contribution begun to be appreciated.

Acknowledgements: The Author is Supported by NIH 2U54NS041069-06A1 (NINDS), and 5P20RR016466 (NCRR)

The Russo-Japanese war was one of the first major conflicts where small diameter hardened projectiles were fired at high muzzle velocities,

resulting in survivable perforating head wounds with strait trajectories and little damage to adjacent tissues. For the first time, the functional

consequences of resulting traumatic brain injury could illustrate regional brain function if only someone was there to pay attention.

The Mosin-Nagant Remote Cerebral Lesion Device:

Slide Number 1