Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-12-18
MINDS OF ANIMALs.-Dr. W. Lander Lind

MINDS OF ANIMALs-Dr. W. Lander Lind
say, of whose views on the subject Of animal
psychology we have before spoken, is Scot
tish physician, devoted to mental diseases, but
who also takes great interest in the minds OF
now Systematically prosecuting. He believes
that animals have minds as really as do men,
and that although vastly and variously lower,
they are still kindred to the human mind, and
upon analysis yield the same mental elements
or rudlments of the faculties But he goes
still further, and affrms not only that animals
have true mental natures, but that these are
liable to arrangement; that Is, IN fact, animals
are subject to the same mental diseases as man.
He has recently published an elaborate paper
on insanity in the lower animals, IN which he
gives the most curious and interesting proofs
that they also go deranged in all kinds of ways.
Even the vexed questions of civilization and
insanity he finds mixed up with this lower
animal problem. DR.. Tuke, an eminent au-
thority on human insanity, remarks that there
is an acuteness Of sensibiIity, a susceptibility
Of the emotions, an intense activity OF the feel
ings, which would seem to be peculiar to highly
civilized life, and cut Of this state Of the nerv-
Gus system come various predispostions to
mental disease Dr. Lindsay holds that
this is equally true of animals He says THE
effect of domeStica;ion and breeding in the pro-
duction of a predisposition to disorders OF the
whole nervous system, including especially the
brain, is another subject of the first importance
in relation to the symptoms OF Insanity IN AMI.
mails. High breeding, for Instance in dogs and
horses, begets extreme nervous senslbllity, ln-
cluding high mental sensitiveness, one result
of which is great susceptibility to diseases of
the entire nervous system. The distinguished
Partisan physiologist, NJ Claude Bernard, has
pointed out the effect Of breeding in the obvi-
Gus differences as regards nervous senslbty or
lrritabiity between high-bred animals and the
same species in the wild or natural state. He
says: SO exquisite is the nervous se;slhlity OF
dogs Of the higher breed that the slightest op-
erations bring on fever, and are attended with
alarming symptoms. They cannot, therefore,
be employed in researches connected with the
gastric juice in fact all operations performed
within the abdominal cavity are liable to super.
induce pertonitis, which generally proves
fatal In dogs of a lower breed the results are
totally different, and NJ. Bernard states that in
the horse these differences are, if possible, still
more strongly marked. '-Gatary.
AN ACTOR CLERGYMAN.-[F From the Louis
vile Ledger. The announcement Saturday
morning Of the death Of Rev DR.: Z. b: Par.
sons, minister of the Methodist Episcopal
sorrow. His death has been expected for some
time, but the shock was none the less severe.
No man IN the folds of the Methodist Church
ever welded greater power or had wider
reputation than DR.. Parsons. A splendid
elocutionist, natural orator, and gifted with
an unusual share of magnetism he sWayed his
audience with an irresistible power.
Charles Booth Parsons was born in Enfield,
Conn, July 90 1905, and consequently was in
This sixty-seventh year at the time OF his death.
At the early age Of eighteen he went to Provl-
den e. r. l., and engaged IN business. Shortly
atterward his business house was destroyed by
fire, and he was thrown upon the world PENN,
less. He turned his attention to the stage, and
made his debut in the Old Bowery Theatre in
New York.
Shortly afterward he came West, and played
number of engagements in this and Southern
cities. Oct 80, 1851, he was married to Miss
Emily G.. Oldham of this city. ln 1888 he
abandoned the stage, and joining the Methodist
Church, under the ministration Of the Rev.
John Maft, famous revivalist, in March,
1889, was licensed to preach. He retured to
the stage for short time but soon renounced
it forever At the conclusion OF successful
engagement in this city, ne came before the
curtain and delivered an address, announcing
his abandonment of the stage, and his lnten-
ton of uniting himself with the Christian
church. The affair created quite sensation
at the time.
Many stories have been told OF his conTer-
sion. The correct version is as follows: After
he had attained considerable reputation as an
actor, he paid visit to his family in Counecti-
cut. His brother, the Rev. DR.. Parsons,
Presbyterian minister, determined to accom-
pany him to the West At Baltimore the actor
had an engagement. aud as he left the hotel his
brother, the minister, said that he would pray
for HIM Upon his return from the theatre he
found his brother upon his knees, and from
that time he dated his conversion.
His success as an actor was great, but his
true field was in the ministry.
ARAB LADIES PERFUME.-How Arab ladies
perfume themselves is thus described by Sir