New-York tribune., 1871-03-28

Il D i2no. rp. go u. Appleton 4 Co.
The author Of this work now occupies leading
MACE in England among that class Of physicians
who devote themselves 10 The treatment of mental
Il soTdeIs-aouistS, they are termed IN profess
sional lar rragc re married the daughter of the
celebrated Dr. Connolly, who first carried ont the
non-TcStT1int system of treating the insane at the
Asylum IN Hauwen. and DR.. Maudslcy succeeds him
in connection with that establishment. His name
has been prominent in the literature of bis profes-
sion for several years, he having been one of the
editors Of TIE journal Of Mental Science, and CO.
pous contributor to its pages. In 1861 he published
an elaborate work on the Physiology and Pathology
of the Mind which has attracted considerable at
tentiou In its early and more philosophical part
he appropratcS, without due recognition, the PSy-
chology OF Herbert Spencer: but the book abOunds
in medical learning, aud may be taken as an author
itative exposition Of the most recent data and spec
ulationS on ccrchIO-mental phenomena especially
in thcir morbid relations
d.. Maud,ley having been appointed TO deliver
the Gulstoniau Lectures before the Royal College OF
Physicians in 1870, has printed them in the htde
volume before MS under the title of Body ana
Mind As he was addressing physicians. ana II
was his object to consider the subject with specli
reference TO its pathological hearings or TO disorders
of the mind these lectures have somewhat more oi
works Of Holland Brodic and Moore; but ms expo
si.irs are nv no means technical and are altogether
popular in fOIm.
The FIRST lecture Of the volume is devoted to What
= now known rs mental physioogy-that Is. TIE
physical conditions OF mental action in health IL
attempts to explain the functions of the dlhereh
paris Of the nervous system, and how theS acl III
tre different phases Of mental operation According
IN This view every mental act has its material side,
and matter and material properties are thrust Tor
ward as fundamental and Indispensable factors m All
pSrchicai activity Certain Of our actions oi an
uu3cuiably mental or purpOsiye character, aS Dr.
Maud,ley points ont involve only the INFERIOR
ccntcrs Of the SPINAL cord. They are co0rt.iuating
adaptive and strictly mental actS although uncon-
scious: and are demonstrated in animals with the
head removed brief. but clear description, is
given of the mental Offices of the higher ccntcrs, as
physiology now nterpres Them both OF the sensor-
motor ganglia at the base of the brain, and the
syi-eme cerebral tract Much Ob,curity rests on
MANY points Of this inquiry hut in tracing ont the
automatic mechanism in mental operations an i'm
r.,lfqut s.cp has undoubtedly been taken in estab-
lehipg true mental science, and its significance
II we'll illustrated by this lecture of DR.. Maudsey
Tie conception of mind physiolOSically con
dtioned. and Of each mental act as involving
definite material change is foreign to the ordinary
something incong1uous and impossible. Our notion
f mind is Of something vague abstract, and linna-
teal and 10 this view of il consciousness seems
"a testify Yet il cannot be denied that mind IS
manifested through a material organism, ana II TINS
he 80 III whole il must also he III part and III detail
How difficult il is 10 think of il in this respect will
be shown when we try to comprehend the Nature Of
single faculty-say memory under its material con-
ditions Memory is mind persisting, or IN Its re-
vived activity. But according to this theory its
material conditions must Glso pcrsst-that is mate
rial impressions must lastin fact there must be an
orcanic memory OF this DR.. Maudsey says:
Take for example The SOcaled faculty Of memory Of
which metaphvs vsicaus have made 80 much As aOrdihg
ms the knowledge O. personal identity FROM the way
rinTn"rt " As peculiar 10 ninl and beyond the reach
Of physical explanation. Bul Ht,ie rehtclion VIII VIII
prove that it il nothing Of the Kind Ihe aelnred iae
tlols o tne S{% a. vttance Of memory which is in
dispeusabe their formation end exercise. How eiIe
conld these ccufers cducacdt Tn Impression made
unoH them ana the answering movements, both leave
their traces behind Them which capable Of being re-
yiyet the occasions of similar lhIIth7lns. - E"ut,
louc center whether Of mind sensation, or movement
which was without memory would he an riotic CENTER
incapable of being taught it, functions IN cN'II eI.c
cell there is memory and no ONLY So pa' 'aSr@ % Is ' W
ory in every organic element O the body The virus OF
smallpox or oi -yIb's iiihtS ~ ihl!h U' ~ ~, ~ ~ H t
forget us thouc like ,hc memory OF an old man. 1t may
fldc END become faint with advancing age INC manner
lu which the scar Oi IN chds finger j. peTpeu-
nod and ow, ~ Tie body grows, cvinccS, aS Mr Paget
Ittel a
remembers the change whicn il has sun red. heErl
~ to organic registration Of the effects of impressions
The organization Of experience and to Tecocri D, - re-
functional activity.
I'm his second lecture Dr Maudsley takes up the
subject OF human d'generacv in connection with the
great law of hereditary descent, with the
pnrpose Of Bringing prominently into notice
the operation Of physical causes from generation
denominations" He adopts the Dlrwnian theory
l,ts tlUf. m
the inferior races and says that when his deve-
opmcnt il arrested at low stage, in idiocy,
oi when the hicher nature breaks up in insanity,
tie gBare of ms basial ancestry often come out
with STARTLING fidelity. Ia no o.her way than by
this theory Of evolution from the lo0et forms, he
maintains cla We get "oven glimpse Of an cx-
planaton of III, origin of these animal traits in
man
In most larce ev'uns there is one or moro than one
example of demcntcd person who truly ruminates :;
b.;ir his food rapidly, n re- RE dlter"drd 10 corner,
wLcIc lis l,iu, e quietly brings It mp again into the
no long time to cuulncratc the various brute
like characciitc> ttat are at tme, witnessed among
tie insane; enough 10 say that some very strong acs
and arguments ln suppofi "i NJ. DITls view Iilgn'
I've drawn from the rld oi morihd PSYCHOLOGY we may
without much dIcuty trace sayagcry ~ cEllIallOD, a'
We @d' @ ,--' =, t,e ,0 EiaduG "a 10 siv of the
human hind. tcic are exhibited marks denoting the
elomcutsl, iu t.n.ta oi I;s composition
This is ,till more remarkably eXempfed in idiocy.
Tc the appearance of apih characters is frequent.
striking instance of th. kind is described by Dr.
Nlscscl Deputy commissioner IN lnacy ior scotland;
- lavc ncgpr" hc says, " seen better Illustration ol
~. 10 ,,our tHa. s apc-!ikc. lie Crins chater- and
49,, .'. Iii e., monkey. never attempting SOUND ~ alN
a. a, rp.eI,lltuy q word He puts himself IN the most
attitude g. his hunts after hce and 0ten brings
.,L a Lrip ms hands. lie g1Hsps what be brings
- .',ti wi.i an Gp.h hold. Ills thuMhs are pht
adlit,ouaI fingers. He has n Ieaphg Walk. ie His i
49,, 1,r,,g~ and short hair on his cIeck or lace lie
~ muscular. active, aud not dwarfsh & ne sits Oh
fhc foor in ape fashion lie h". i,'nS ~ i,v., hpis'
Ian fullp an