, 1873-06-22
THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THOUGHT.

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THOUGHT.
The famous definition of mind and matter
1hich Punch once gave is likely to lose its ap-
picahon, il not its pungency, in the advance Of
psychological science. "What ia mind7 No
matter. What is matter7 Never mind" DR..
William B. Carpenter does not agree With this
REV OF the relations between mind and matter,
out tells Us plainly that all mental activity ls de-
pendent on q chemical reaction between the
blood and the brain. He intimates that it
= time the metaphyaicans should take
some account Of this, as it is now
one of the established facts OF physiology, and
there is no doubt that it would give new and
curious nssis for superstructure Of specula-
nys philosophy Mental activity, he says, de-
pends upon. the phyEical changes in the circula-
ton of o1ygenated blood through the brain just
A. electricity depends upon the changes between
It's metals and excited liquid. This is certainly
important, ii true, and teaches that it is neccs-
cary to give greater attention to the physical
condition than most men engrossed in Brain
1ork are in tts habit Of according.
DR.. Carpenter, in recent number OF the Con-
temporary Rerieo. gives some interesting Illus
natiorB of the physiological influences on the
o:bits Of thought, which may some day be re-
1uced to system that will sid materially in
s1Aping them, in acquiring information, and
fetaining it. The reproduction Of past states OF
consciousness is described to be an automatic
lhem that of lady who WEB left an orphan ir
infancy, and had no recollection Of her
mother, but who, cnce entering room in
distant town whare, to her knowledge,
she had never been before, recalled her invalid
mother leaning over her and weeping. The in
cident, she subsequently, ascertained, occurred
lust - she had recalled it. similar case was
shat Of An English clergyman who visited an old
castle, as he thought, for the first time. When
ne approached the gateway, scene flashed upon
nim in which he eaw the castle, the gateway,
lonIeys under the arch, and people On top Of It.
He afterwa1d found out from his mother that
ae had been to the castle under just such circum-
4tances when he WAS only is months old. The
theory which such instances would seem to
/. establish in connection with the physiological
F elations described, is that the chemical action
Of blood in the brain ia sort Of registering pro-
less, which, if it is properly pursued, leaves an
indel;b1e impression that can be always repro
uced under the proper influences. A case Of
forgetting aud recovering language is Pc
euliar illustration Of q sudden change in the ac-
on Of the blood. Dr.. Abercrombie tells OF q
n injury aud, in this state, began to talk
though he had been thirty years. absent
on N:Aes. and had apparently forgotten
the language altogether. Upon the re-
,overy OF his heath, the man began to talk the
English language, a2d completely forget his
Welsh again curious iect within the knowl-
edge OF the writer, WAS the ca2o OF student in
Germany who was exceedingly en1ious to Sc
4uire the German language as soon as possible
he had some knowledge OF it, but WIS enable to
ase it in conversation. Yet, in his sleep, his
mind evidently engrossed with the study, he
:ould hold q conversation, understand perisetly,
md talk .fuently. It is possible that the con-
a,,> - rere more favorable for the reproduc-
rim .,a --,1icAtion Of what he knew,
snd ,anoa +ha nn., which he could not COM
mand among the the more dis1,1ss=. u ao7oc'a'lons
Of waking hours. The exhilaration OF o111@tes- 11@@:
Non that many people receive from clear and j
stimula:ing OF from close and morbid at
uosphere il another instance OF the eamo IN
auence On the chemical action Of the blood. So,
loo, the impairment OF the memory by disease
Of old age.
This relation between mental expression and |
physical impression 1s Of practical Importance in
influencing the formation OF habits OF |
Thought. DR.. Carpenter sayB that the !
doctrine OF hereditary transmission Hill hold |
with reference to this as well as other physio-
Logical phenomena, and, if so. the responsibility
Of parents defined in the Scriptures il founded
upon sound physical, basis It also suggests
the necessity Of system in the mechanism OF
association, thus defined, by which the traces
End Impressions may be carefully and properly
slowed away without the waste common to
s"'@s @H>eA!741o40to, a14A uAuI6tHCllGA1 process.
Casea are everywhere familiar in which the
Rtudent who acquires readily 1osea the imprcs-
sione which haTo bean thus hastily recis-
tered, while he whose process is more
deliberate and methodical mas a readier means OF
what has thus carefully been slowed
sway This dependence of mental activity On
ohyBical condition, il fully understood, NAV also
ead to q reform OF what is popularity known as
the brain, and the number of cases OF
dying at the top" will be materially diminish
4. Tho value Of association in the formation
# habits Of thought the influence Of nutrition
Ipon the nc les Of thought, and the maintenance
# acquired habits Of the mind may all find i'm
'ortant auxi1iaries in the application OF
bis physical notion Of registering ideas. What
'er objections some persons may be ine1irea TO
1ge against the doctrine on the score OF mate
laissic tendencies may be more than balanced
= the advantages which science will possess in