The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1841-01-30

neuce 'ne origin nj moral or intellectual
character, the particular dispositions ant
propensiies Of individuals or of whole ma
lions. Hence enc man is naturally violent
and snother gentle, one prey to perpe,ua
gloom, and another full of hope and conf.
dence, one iraJcible and revengeful and an.
other all beueveerce and good will, one
shrewd and witty and another heavy and in.
ert. Hence the refinement and patriotism
OF ancient Greece; the rough hardibood OF
The Romans; and the commercial spirit eJ
Carthage. have observed tina. ,hese fac.
ultes require the Intervention Of an organ.
That that organ is the brain, admits of proof.
In the first place, then, they are the phe-
nomena Of sensibiily ,and hence we should
be disposed 10 refer them TO a nervous organ:
and being the mos, elevated phenomena of
the kind TO the highes. Of the nervous organs.
In the second place, inward feeling indu-
ces rs to refer them thl,her. We not only
feel the process there, during meditation, ,bu |.
the sense OF fatigue, which succeeds to hare
study, is experienced there likewise.
Again, the brain must be iu state of in
tegriiy, otherwise the faculties are deranped
or for the time abolished. In fever the brain
becomes affected directly or Indirectly. and
the consequence is,-perversien of the in
teleet, in the form OF delirium. If the or
gan be more permanently disordered as by
the pressure Of an exostosis or of tumor,
or by some alteration in it's structure or
functions--less appreciable in its nature
insanity, in some Of its forms may be the
result.
In serious accidents 10 the brain, we OBJ
serve the importance Of that organ 10 the
proper exercise of the mental faculties most
clearly eyinced. ! will cite some Of the ac-
cdents or causes which effect the faculties.
If a person receive violent blow upon the
head, il suspends The operation Of the fac
ul.les for time, and if the blow be of sufi-
cent force to fracture the skull the eonse-
quence Of this may be depression of a por-
tien of bone, which exer,s degree OF com
preston upon the brain, or the fracture
may cause extravasation of blood from
some OF the vessels of the brain, which ex-
ert degree Of compression of it. From
the moment of the inflictien of the injury
the whole Of the mental and moral manlies-
talion, are suspended, and do not return un-
till the COMPRISING cause is removed.
Many other positive arguments might be
adduced to show that the brain is the or.
gan of the mental faculties; bu, l will new
bring forward one or two from host OF
| negative arguments which go to prove the
same position. !. is well known tha, disease
Of other psr,sns Of the body,and Of the prin.
| ciple periions,may exist and pass on to a
fatal termination leaving the mental faculties
almost wholly unimpared. Such is proven
sslly the case with ph,hsis pulmonais OF
pulmonary consumption, the subject O
which may be faitering himself with hopes
| OF long life and devising schemes Of future
pleasure and agrandzement until within a
few hours Of his dissolution. Such is the
| case with manv of the organs attacked with
disease, which, pass on to fatal termination
without iinpsiring the faculties Of the mind
which is conclusive evidence that the brain
is the organ Of the mental faculties,
will now a,temp! to show you that the
mental faculties are not the result of organ-
zation, and | would preface my observations
by observing tina; those who contend for tha,
doctrine are not deserving of the anathemas
which have been directed agains, them on
the score of irre!igien. The charge would
rather apply to those who could doubt the
power OF omnipotence to endow matter with
such attributes. 1t is the doctrine of those
who contend for the mental faculties being
the result Of organization, tina. they are pro-
porti0nate to the number and perfection of
the external senses. How will this stand
the test Of investlgation7Itis known that ma
ny animals have the same number of senses
as man, and frequently have them more
perfect; yet in Eone is the mental sphere co.
extensive. The idiot, too. has the external
senses as delicate as the man of genius and
often much more so. Many of those Of the
greatest talents have the senses extremely
obtuce; and further we find that some of the
ordinary avenues to the mind may be cut
off. as in the case of the child born deaf and
necessarily dumb, the ingenuity of the SCI
enuhc philanthropist has devised modes of
instruction by which their mental manif,s-
tations have been exhibited in the most graf
tifying manner, and in one which proves that
the sense of hearing is no. absolutely neces-
sary for the mental Development, and that
its place may be supplied to great extent
by the proper exercise of others.
Again, those who have, from early infan-
cy. been deprived of the senses OF sight and
hearing, and who have been devoid of two
of the most important inlets for the entrance
OF impressions from the surrounding world.
In such case il is obyioOs thew are shut ont