pressure; but at others, especially if inflammation shall have taken place, the return to perfect health is only through a lengthened series of perverted manifestations.

Fever will occasion large deviations from healthy brainular function; and this, too, differing according to the peculiar agency of the febrile morbific cause, but in every instance attended by perverted mental manifestation.

Supposed visions are the frequent consequence of this state; persons and situations appearing either as they would do in reality, or associated with some erroneous attribute.

Hence, apparitions are traced, under certain circumstances, to a bodily morbid cause.

But if this be granted, it can scarcely be denied, that other supernatural appearances may equally be referred to similar, or at least analogous, causes.

Local inflammation of a slow disorganizing character, attacking the brain, or its membranes, perverts or destroys the power of intellectual operation.

The whole class of nervous disorders contribute to impair, and under extreme circumstances, to destroy, the manifestations of mind.

Many of these may be effectually resisted

by a powerful effort of the will, thus showing the submission of the brain to the presiding spirit or mind.

The same consequence is deduced from the good effect of certain remedies upon the mental manifestations, and especially by the simple action of cold; so totally inconsistent with all our ideas of spiritual essence.

In hypochondriasis, in some instances, a primary effect is produced upon the brain, and, in others, that which is secondary, through the medium of the stomach; but the ultimate effect in both cases is purely cerebral. Mental causes will also produce the same disturbing effects.

Hence again, mental and bodily causes are found to produce the same consequences; they are originally of a distinct nature, and how can they produce identical effects, but by acting upon one intermediate organ, common to both, and capable alike of receiving impressions from body and mind? No other organ than the brain can occupy such a relative situation.

The hypochondriac loses the power of the will over his mental manifestations: they are perverted, and present to the mind, images of the most unreal character:

Yet hypochondriasis is produced by primary or secondary irritation of the brain:

Therefore, irritation of the brain is the common accompaniment of these unreal images.

It is reasonable to infer, that irritation of the brain, which we know exists, is the cause of these unreal images, rather than to assume that it is some peculiar state of the spiritual principle, concerning the mode of whose real existence we can know nothing.

The hypocondriac hears voices, sees visions, is assailed by unearthly visitants, aud receives admonitions; and, moreover, all these voices, visions, and revelations, are capable of being superseded, and swept away by medical treatment; a clear proof of their origin and tendency.

Hence, a certain state of the brain always occasions disordered manifestations of mind and again, these have been traced back to functional diseases of the brain.

In both states, unreal and perverted images, even veritable apparitions, the offspring of brainular disturbance, are presented to the mind, with a degree of impressiveness which is superior to that of reason, and which therefore supersedes its power, and annihilates the influence of judgment.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Same subject continued.

IN proceeding with our analysis of the preceding argument, we shall observe, that the same view is confirmed by attending to the phenomena of sleep, and especially of its morbid states.

Sleep is not a state of absolute quiescence; of the negation, or even the suspension of action indeed, some organs appear to possess a greater degree of activity than usual, because, the intellectual function being less employed, a greater supply of nervous energy can be afforded without destroying the balance of constitutional power.

Thus is shown the unwearied action of the brain during sleep, inasmuch as it gives off such an amount of nervous energy as shall be sufficient to maintain the activity and integrity of those functions..

But many of its intellectual manifestations. are absolutely laid aside; and hence it should seem, that, as an intellectual organ, it is more

liable to exhaustion than as a corporeal agent; and this is confirmed, day by day, by the greater fatigue, and the more rapid failure of power, which attaches to mental exertion, than to bodily labour.

Therefore, sleep seems to have been provided for the intellectual brain; and, in consequence of this state, it ceases to be the servant of the spiritual principle, and is no longer obedient to the will.

This repose of the brain is often incomplete; and then it continues a certain kind of action, without the guidance of the judgment, or the government of the will.

Whenever the brain is in a state of irritation, uiet sleep is impossible; and a state of morbid wakefulness is not unfrequently the result.

The brain may be roused to a state of excitation by various stimuli; and therefore i may be acted upon by different disturbing causes, with which we are at present unacquainted; because we know not the mode of relation subsisting between that viscus and its distant associated organs.

Thus, then, the brain is excited by various causes, producing corresponding varied effects, yet all agreeing in disturbing the manifestations of mind.

In reverie there is a continued action of the