Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-02-18
MATTER.
OF the Media through which Man Per.
ceives External objects.
AZ

OF the Media through which Man Per.
ceives External objects.
No. ~.
Philosophers have sometimes called the
human mind substance" not with the in
tention of conveying the idea of materiality
as this word is generally understood but
apparently, intending to convey the idea of
vague, indeAnable entity, non-committal
being as a compromise between materiality
and nihility. Hence, one author informs US
that "mind, oontradistinguished from matter,
is free, self-determined being and hence ex-
lists in the form of atomic individuals, and
not, as with matter, in that of mere mechan-
ical or quantitative aggregates" But how is
''mind contradistinguished from matter" il
it is composed of, or 'exists in the form of
atoms ?" Matter is a combination of atoms
so minute as 10 admit of no division and q
''quantitative aggregate" would lose none of
its materiality by being separated into "at-
omic individuals" II it were possible TO ex-
pand hydrogen 1000 times, and separate II
into "atomic individuals, il would be matter
as certainly as before. According TO the
postulate OF this author, (Which unfortunate
between mind" and matter" is utterly de-
stroyed in spite of the effort TO maintain 1t,
and "matter" becomes the all-comprehensive
term that embraces the entirety of sentient
being The words substance" and "atom"
associating with themselves the idea of mate
riality, are not good ones to apply to the
mind, because they are liable to mislead the
inquirer in the study of this very difficult and
complex subject. 1t is certain that the mind
has not been proved ''atomic ;" and without
proof-at least strong circumstantial proof
it is wise to be cautious in building up theo-
ries. II we call the mind an 'immsterial
substance" we have but changed probable
error into a manifest solecsm, for all sub
stances are material. Hence, il these views
are correct, whenever the mind is called
substance" it should not be considered
''atomic," but merely the living principle
arising from an organized brain, an entity
like caloric, of whose existence we can have
no perception through the senses except as its
activities become manifest through its envi-
ronment, and except the consciousness that
it is an adjunct of the living body. The mind
is certainly invisible; no human eye has
seen it, though search may have been made
for it diligently under the microscope. It is
as certainly intangible the most acute nerve
never discovered it. II has never been re-
vealed as a unity or atomic entity through
any of the senses, nor been discovered by
chemical tests Hence, so far as scientific
knowledge extends the mind does not exist
'n the form OF atomic individuals" but is
the result of organization and coeval with the
living body. At this precise point where
knowledge fails, the true believer appears in
the panoply of faith, meekly trusting that
the mind or soul is separate, independent
unity, capable of surviving the decomposi-
ton of the body. This belief is respected,
for it has brought solace to many a weary
pilgrim in the journey of life. Walking by
faith and not by sight" millions who have
trodden the thorny paths Of penury and suf-
fering have been supported and millions
more will be thus supported to the end of
time.
Coming now more directly TO the subject
The mind has its residence in the brain; in
other words, the mind aud its faculties are
concomitants OF the living brain, as the flame
OF a lamp is the concomitant of the lighted
lamp. In this complex organ all perceptions
Of material substances are received through
the sensory nerves first the perception Of
the substance itself, then an association Of
certain properties as solidty, extension, hg-
ure, color and gravitation. In order to q
complete perception Of material body, all
of the senses may become necessary, each
sense conveying different mental impress
sion from either of its companions,
The brain sends out two kinds of nerves
from itself and the spinal cord, which may be
regarded as IN elongation of itself, called the
motory and the sensory nerves. The subject
leads only to discussion Of the sensory
nerves. These are divided into the nerves
of special sense and the nerves of sensibili-
ty. The nerves of sensibility proceed princi-
pally from tho spinal cord, divide and subdi-
vide, and extend over the body SO that no
part thereof is destitute of nerves, nor hence,
Of sensibility. Holding communication with
the brain, they convey intelligence of the ex-
istence of any substance with which they
come in contact as intelligence is conveyed
over telegraphic wires The nerves of the
fingers are most acute, for here are their
numerous ends which more readily receive
impressions than their intermediate parts
they have also become experts by long-con-
tinued practice Placing the hands upon a
block of granite, the first perception is that of
matter itself next, such of its properties as
can be conveyed through the sense Of touch,
as hardness, extension, figure and gravita-
tion.
1t is through the nerves Of special sense
that man gains his most important knowl-
edge of external objects. These are the
nerves of vision (optic), the nerves of hear
ing (auditory), the nerves Of taste (gustato-
ry), and the nerves of smell (olfactory.)
Hence man has five media or senses through
which he becomes acquainted with material
things and all impressions that he enter
fains concerning whatever exists, or is sup
posed to exist, that do not come through
them, are conieotural; and while such an
impression may be correct coincidently, it is,
very likely, visionary and delusivo. A man
laboring under mental alteration may believe
that he is soon to inherit a large estate in
some foreign land; but no intelligence of
the kind was ever conveyed through the
senses hence his prospective affluence is but |
a fgment of the brain never to be realized.
Perception, as has been observed, is pro-
duced by contact with the sensory nerves.
When we sit down to dinner of savory food,
the odors arising are PARTICLES of the food,
and coming in contact with the olfactory
nerves, they produce sensations of delight in
the hungry man. When the solid portion
comes in contact with the tongue there are
still greater sensations of delight because the
nerves of the tongues are better judges of the |
kind of aliment demanded by the stomach
than the nerves of the nose, and because the |
preliminary process of digestion is now COM
meneed, affording relief to the hungry man.