Show big toes wiggle termed evidence of mans origin significant motion Is first sign of primitive escape reaction SAN FRANCISCO A peculiar movement of modern modem man Is big toe Is considered medical evidence of his descent from a tree climbing creature in the opinion of an inter nationally known neurologist this s significant little motion Is the first outward sign of a primitive escape reaction involving the mus cles of the feet and legs the reaction leads back to a prim etive part of the brain which man still carries around but seldom uses in the course of human develop meat ment this old brain was super ceded by the part which evolved to govern motion by the thial thinking cing process since then the old brain has been a sort of prisoner of the higher brain but once in a while it breaks loose new and old brain this happens when the higher brain becomes injured or diseased then the old brain takes over the job of bossing whatever muscles the higher brain is unable to control be cause of illness an upturning of the big toe when the bottom of the foot Is stroked long has been known among neu as evidence of disease or injury in the part of the higher brain which controls the muscles it was discovered 50 years ago by dr joseph francois felix babin ski pans paris physician dr robert wartenberg of hersity of california medical school who worked under babinski 20 years ago and who also Is an au all dhority of reflexes has traced the big toe movement to the workings of the old brain he reported his findings recently in the journal of the american med leal ical association complicated reaction putting together his own re searches and the findings of many other neurologists dr wartenberg determined that the toe movement was a small part of a complicated muscular reaction involving these telltale movements pressure against the sole of the foot is a signal to the old brain to start the climbing motion the sole of the foot turns inward to present the largest possible cling tog ing surface to the object to be climbed the smaller toes spread apart to increase this clinging abil ity the leg involuntarily bends at the knee lifting the foot for an upward step the opposite leg straightens out preparatory to duplicating the motions of the stimulated leg these movements dr wa arten berg adds plainly are the natural ones for climbing as it Is done by the pru primates nates for example a mon key ascending a coconut tree |