The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-07-29
.o,st Nnw BOOKS.
Ia ReIisicn tho Result Of Pbysioicsicai
~ .. Farce

Beiisf the first part OF which, hedthensNs ana NO
soi@n Appstop0, lies before US The title hardly
prepares the reader Cor the discussion OF VI. doc
trrne Of 1.-THE correlation and conservation Of
forces" which he will find in the volume
Mr. Gould tells us that the experiments Of Count
Rantord, an account o. which nrsi published rs
carly az IiDs. difected inquiry to this branch Of
science and tIe respect which some OF the nblest
N en- Of modern times have paid 20 II has stimulated
the cultivation of animals TO such extent that the
produc' ion OF some hybrida may be expected Pro.
fef sors Grove ana F1ruday have contributed some
very vniuuble papers the subject, and Dra Mayer
end Carpenter have also enlarged the area Of
knowledge In regard to II, though the latter has
mysti1ed n, perhaps. somewhat by speculation.
II IL, indeed, subject not free from obscurity at
the best as Prof Faraddy has very ably pointed out;
but after reading Mr.. Gould We are compelled to
confess that however obscure 1t ia capable OF wider
application than we supposed Starting from the
proposition taken substantially from DIR. Carpenter,
THAT vital mental, and nervous action are mod1
cations Of force" the author propounds his theory
OF physical origin OF the religions sentiments. He
then proceeds to demonstrate the operation Of ply
steal forces which constitute cause the religious
instincts and anerwarl the oriIn Of the religious
idea, and is DEVELOPMENT into the various theisms
aud deisns which have multiplied In tue history OF
mankind.
anihor In relation to q physical base as deriving
their characteristics, generic or special from pay
Geological conditions for producing or converting
force These conditions may be briefly stated as
follows:
Force Is stored up through the animal organi SIN
by the conversion OF fool into the cellular and
nbrous matter composing the substance Of the brain,
and may 10 Reproduced In muscular or mental &C
tcn nv the combustion OF the cellular tissues This
act OF combustion is called liberating the force.
In respect to the accumulation aud distribution Of
force each Of the several Cangonic centres of the
brain has its peculiar oaice. The distribution OF
muscular force is effected by means OF the ccre.
hellum, which ,s called the scat OF the mu"culAr
sense. The functions OF the BODY that act uncon.
sciously-sueh as degludtion aud respiration
operate by means OF force liberated from the
nedula cblongati. This l. called reflex action, and
Is simple, being common TO the lower orders Of AMI
msl life.
Those parts OF the brain whi'h are known as the
CORPORA strata perform higher Office These
-,,,r,. - centre Of force. expressed rs emotion,
manifested In voluntary i."rement They have an
intermediate relation to all moveiSats Of the body
and mind. besides enclosing tie thalami optici,
which constitute an organ Of s,il higher junction,
being the seat OF the inner sensibiiines.
1.-THE thalami optci," says Mr.. Gould L" are the
essential gangha OF the son'ory tracts. as the cor
| pora strata are OF the motor aud Ike them
| directly connected with thu ccfcbrum. through
the fundamentally Of nuumerable lan.lko commits.
| sural dhres-thc connecting links OF thought with
| feeling and OF dcaHon with emotion
| The thalami are thus held 10 be the centres of
| feeling. receiving Impressions through the nerves
from tue surface Of tho DO Az and resolving them into
| sensation. The centres Of sensbiiiN, OF emotion
| and action. accordingly, are connected with each
| other mediatcy. and with the ccrobrum. which -
itself "the sent Of perception. consciousness, intel
leoual action. and votional po~cr-.n word, OF the
| understanding and Will"
| According to Mr.. Gould, the harmonious develop
mcnt Of the Intellectual and emotional powers Is the
aim Of re zion and this Is effected through the cor.
responding Development Of the cerebrum, com
hnel with lie aecoriant supremacy the nerves
Of sensation aud m iton. Tne Office Of religion in
relation to these several physical centres of the
soul is summed up by our author as follows:
| To coordinate the mind and the sentiment, to
unite suhjeotyiy and ooiectiyity 10 a common work
to develop equally aud harm lniously the csrcbrum
aud the sensory glngonic tract and 70 subordinate
to TIC domination Of reason and feeling, acting con
| jointly, the actions OF the body-this is what re
| lision undertakes to perform"
Having given the hysca conditions OF religious
~sntimen', tie religious instincts come to be con
sidcrcd in order. These are the frat determining
modes OF force that tend TO development in dicrcn;
forms OF religious bolief according to tne religious
want that demands gratilc Ition, the same as AMI
NAL instinct Ia directed to supplying animal wants
As may appear nom what has been said, the mani
| festAtions Of lite are considered by Mr.. Gould as
due TO the assimilation and liberation Of force by
means VI the animal organism, All animal lie dc
! mands certain kind amount OF CONSEQUENCES
aud the consciousness Is the measure OF the develop
ment Of tile organism.
| CONSEQUENCES ia the orders not gifted with rea-
SON IL simply the animal h. stne;s and, as TO these
force is expended In hysical development and con
tinuance OF species. But growth or developmen
depends upon the excess Of absorption over waste
and the development OF consciousness to become IN
telligoncc, and from thence the religious instincts
depends upon the absorption and accumulation oil
the life force 10y the eerebrun, instead OF being in
mediately reflected back from the cere bellum and
meiua obongata into muscular growth and inyo
untary action. Hence 1t Is held that high degre
Of mental activity Is incompatible with the mai te
nance Of muscular or provocative power.
BY development, Consciousness rith man becomes
intelligence because tits IL required by the neces-l
ties of his anins nature. A. 10 animals, the sheep
for instance, force, having been supplied from food
is liberated from tic base of the brain, ana by sin
pie unconscious action T. reflected from thence L
the surface. 10 be expended In the production o
wool for it, protection against cold; but with man
the force j, stored up IN the ccrcbrun, and, undo
the cXcltements incident 10 his exposed condiiio
Of body Is expended In tie production Of invenliy
thought for the manufacture OF artificial clothing.
But what are tue religious instincts which are il
! this manner dolucody The religious sentiment
constituted Of Intelligence and desire. Or in Tia
authors words "it Is the feeling of nun after a
Individual aim other than his animal nature" An
! | MIR. Goulls course Of thought fur tend
to show that the religious instincts At
constituted by the DEVELOPMENT and account
lGton Of thought and will mattor-or
other words, Of the corobrum-in excess over N
! mere animal requirements BY raising tho amin
consciousness above or in excess OF the anim
wants, % sort OF spiritual consciousness seems 10
developed the purpose of which is the devclopmel
Of spiritual life, Thus, it were, spiritual instn'
= is produced which must have spiritual object tn
= thought and desire out FOR some object insensib
- 10 the body because sense Is An insufficient medn
a for lberiting the accumulated force. Consciousne
has been raised 10 that poiut where II seeks u