The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-06-17
Presence Of Mind.

The following introduction to some
stories Of great presence OF mind, in the
last number of Chambers Journal
contains a fine analysis Of an obscure
mental faculty:
Now, then, throw yourself over
you'll be dashed to atoms; but what
matter ?. Away you 60. You feel that
unless you speedily retreat, you must
obey the dread command; and you
turn your head away from gazing down
the horrid abyss. You ask yourself
What il were 80 placed that could
not withdraw, should / obey the whis-
pering demon? Perhaps you reason
with yourself: Nonsense it Is only a
feeling, a sensation impossible! Try
again. Yes, there it is again /; you
dare not remain. What can it be
you ask. Is it the demon Of suicide
Can it be anything in my brain
There, you have hit it! 1t is no de-
mon Of suicide that urges you OMIT is
only something in your brain. Let US
try and find out what it is.
From a pair Of scissors to the impe-
rial parliament, and upwards still to
the system Of the Universe, every
agency, moral or physical, seems to
be compounded with two antagonistic
forces controllable and performing cor
rectly the duties assigned to them as
long as they work in unison but I'M
comfortable, and prone to run into ex-
cess their functions, If separated from
each other.
Take away the force of gravity, and
centrifugal force uncontrolled would
scatter as in fine dust through space
Abolish one of the constituent parts OF
any well organized government, and
the result, in moral sense, would pro-
baby te very much the same. Even
the blade of a pair of scissors won't
work without its fellow. Nor is the
brain an exception to this rule. An
eminert philosopher, (Dr. Richardson,
still living, in experimenting recently
upon animals, with tie object OF testing
the comparative value of various an9s-
thetic, discovered that at least two an
tagonisic forces reside in the brain ;
one having its abode in the anterior
and upper portion, (the cerebrum, the
other il the lower and pOsteriOr part,
1.-THE ceiebellum.) In his experiment Is,
he observed that if the cerebrum of an
animal be rendered insensible, and its
powers thus temporarily destroyed, the
animal s Immediately impelled to rush
forward; on the other hand, the cere-
bellum being paralyzed, retrogade
movement is the result. Thus he ac-
counts or the impulse, which many
people eel to precipitate themselves
from a height; the cerebrum, which
contains the thinking and directing
faculties under such circumstances be-
coming paralyzed-dizzy-and the con-
troll which it normally exercises over
the cere5ellum being partially removed
the influence of the latter declares it
self.
The leaned professor having opened
the gate for US, We may walk in and
observe ;or ourselves. Many things
come to or recollection which we can
now account for by this double brain
force. We can comprehend, why that
partridge dashed madly forward after
the fatal darge struck him and why
the other, although flying at the same
speed, fell back in the air like tum-
bler-pigem, fluttering st ii backward
to the ground. If we take up the one,
we find grain of shot has pierced the
skull a little above the eyes; and We
see the deah-wound Of the other at the
back of the head. We can now under
stand why those overcome with fright
so frequently rush into danger they
with to avoid. Nor need We confine
ourselves Il exact cases Of a purely ply
sical nature We may place in the
same categry the bashful man, who
talks nonseise when he should hold
his tongue-the awkward man, who
only is awkward because he is nervous
the directing power of his brain is in
allegiance; and the passionate man,
whose wordsand actions are controlled
10y his reasoning powers. In a word,
we can trace lalf our foolish words and
actions TO a want of equilibrium be-
tween these to forces that inhabit our
brain; and it ; only when the balance
is correct thatye are fit to govern our
selves.
Presence of hind is the popular tenn
to express thisnental equilibrium.