excessive sickness was produced, and an extreme degree of coldness, such as he had never before felt, with an imperfect degree of returning consciousness: and then febrile reaction occurred, which was kept within certain bounds; and, finally, the organ was restored. Now in this case it is not to be supposed that the spiritual principle suffered: and yet, for the time, its action seems to have been suddenly annihilated; precisely, because, from the injury its organ had sustained, it was no longer capable of intellectual manifestation. Presently animal volition returned; which is proved by the automatic answers, and by walking home; but as yet there was no consciousness. At length comes the reflected disorder of the brain upon the stomach, the skin, and the general system: fever is produced, and ultimately, the manifestations of mind go on as usual. If we will but attend to these common circumstances with unprejudiced views, we cannot avoid learning the truth. But, instead of this, we are contented to say, "This is a simple history of a person's being stunned by a sudden violent blow." True! And what is this stunning, but rendering the brain in such a physical condition, that it is incapable of the manifestations of mind? And is it too much

to ask, that if one state of the brain may render it unfit for mental operation at all, another and a different state may give rise to morbid manifestations and unreal images?

G

CHAPTER IV.

Particular sympathies of the brain:—with the heart-with the blood-with the organs of respiration-with the stomach-with the liver-with the function of secretion in general-with the muscular system-with the skin, &c. -conclusions.

To return to the digression with which we concluded the last chapter, we will now contemplate some of the extensive sympathies of the brain; and first with the heart.

I. It requires no argument to prove how easily palpitation of the heart may be produced, by surprise, fear, joy, desire; and indeed by every kind of mental emotion, as well as by a variety of hypochondriacal or hysterical affections; and, on the contrary, we are conscious that this very palpitation disturbs the brain, interrupts the processes of thought, agitates the feelings, and introduces disorder and confusion into the mental manifestations.

The phenomena of fainting afford another instance of this double sympathy. It will often arise from mental emotion, producing such an effect upon the brain, that the due supply of nervous energy, necessary for the continuance of the heart's function, is withheld from it: then it has not the power to contract, so as to send its regular quantity of blood to the brain; and, wanting this, a suspension of its action occurs, and absolute fainting is the consequence. The spirit is not affected, but its manifestation is suspended; and how is it to be restored? Not, surely, by reading lectures to that spiritual principle, on the necessity and importance of retaining or recovering its consciousness; but by the common physical processes of placing the patient in a horizontal position, so as to favour the return of blood to the head, 1; and by stimulating the brain by the sudden application of cold water sprinkled upon the face; by excitants applied to the different organs of sense, and by other similar operations. In suspended animation from another cause, all mental agency is gone, and the patient appears to be dead; yet by observing certain physical rules, vital action is restored; and, after a time, the brainular functions are performed as before. Besides, it is a well-established fact, that dis

ease of the heart is the frequent consequence of grief, and of other violent contentions of spirit. A proof of this is to be found in the greatly-increased frequency of affections of this organ in France since the era of the Revolution. And what is all this, says an objector, but a simple instance of fainting, or, if you must have it so, of the extensive influence of the mind? But it is more for it is a proof of the dependance of that mind, for the correctness and perfection of its manifestations, upon the integrity of the organ allotted by the Creator to its functions.

II. Another class of sympathies of the cerebral organ is with the blood.

It has been just shown that the brain cannot continue its function without an adequate supply of blood. This probably acts in two ways: first, by the impression of its circulation; and secondly, by the vital principles which it contains. Chemists may analyze this fluid, and may tell us what are its constituent elements: but they cannot produce from it bone, muscle, nerve, and the various organs and functions to which it gives rise. This can be accomplished only by a vital action, termed secretion; which cannot be perfected without the intervention of the brain.

Now one purpose of the blood dis