The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-04-09

moral sensitivcness OF the human being shall
henceforth be evolved in the course Of hislifc-
that Is TO say. he reduces II to purely scnsa-
tional phenomenon. multiplied by the inter-
vention Of memory and Intelligence. From
these FIRST moments however. sensibIlity de-
velops rapidly; the different scnsorial foci by
the aid of which 1t comes to life light up, null
tiply. and successfully attain to perfection
The infant successfully learns to see, hear
feel, smell. and taste and soon. 10y
tho unfolding OF all the latent activities
OF tho organic elements which come into cX-
istencc. the general life OF the child develops in
ample luxuriunce. Moral sensbility nndar-
goes the same evolutionary movement lht"lll-
gcnco and memory cnriching its frs pNnltes-
tations every instant. Hcnceforward the nrst
links Of family affection bind themselves round
the chid5 heart. and become the germs OF his
earliest sentiments and emotions. He loves
those who approach him for tho sake OF the
good things they have already done for him.
and to every one who comes in contact with
him. and cxctcs his scnsibility in one way or
another. he dovotcs an appropriate memory.
and n gratitude proporioned to the good or
evil influence he has received. He loves his
parents. in the first place. because they con-
tribute more or less to his well being and his
pleasures. and because he is in the habit of
seeing them every day-tho incessant renewal
OF physical impressions keeping the sentiment
Of gratitude In n condition Of permancnce and
freshness in his sensorium. Those who are
always present before his eyes are similarly
present in his heart. At n subsequent period
OF human existence. the most violent Of the
sentiments. calculated to Get all the chords
Of the living being Observation-Disclosures
itself by virtue Of the same physiological
laws. 1t is because he has been thrilled in
all tho clements of his physical sensibity that
the living creature at the period Of love is in
cvitably hurried forward by invincible hcredi-
tary impulses toward the being destined to be
his complement and to become the physoos
ical receptacle OF his deepest joys-just as
when he was q child he found himself instnc-
lively impelled, according TO the measure OF
affection of which he was then capable toward
the mother or wet nurse who gratiied his first
scnsuous appetitcs The sentiment Of sexual
love- however. so simple in rudmcntary or
ganisms. grows complicated in proportion rs
the sum OF the sensitive elements mu!tiplcs.
and ultimately cngenders those acts Of de.
votion and self-abnegation for the common
work Of progeniture, and that whole series OF
respectable sentiments of which the domestic
morality OF homogeneous peoples offers most
striking examples.
As man advances in life his sensiblity be-
comes gradually lesscned. the senses growing
dun tho sight losing its sharpness. the skin its
impressionablity. This diminution of periph-
eral scnsibility finds its reflex in the impaired
senstivoness Of the central regions. Moral
impressionablity and emotivity lose their
energy as a man grows old. He is less and less
Interested in external things, once capable Of
exciting his mental activity-less curious as 10
knowledge and feeling. Memories of the past
certain time to the exclusion Of more recent
remcmbranres. but in tho end even they too
are obltcrated. so that, the circle Of byGone
things narrowing by degrees the individual
feeds his sens UNI only with the current
operations Of life. Material existence, with its
crude necessities Of eating, drinking and sleep
ing. becomes the favorite and ultimately the
exclusive occupation Of organisms in the period
of dccadence while as to moral scnsibility the
old man. almost invariably an egotst is re-
| duced to vegetative life and, becoming once
| more n child cares no longer, or but little, for
| those who care for him day after day. Suc"umb-
| ing NOR" and more to the rnGrossing demands
Of his own personality, he arrives. as regards
| moral senSibility, ut n true anRsthosia. which
mirrors the languishing condition Of the Gle
ments Of his nervous activity.
III.
DR.. Luys applies the term "phosphores-
| ccnce" to the curious property possessed by the
| nervous elements Of remaining for n longer or
n shorter time in the state Of vibration into
| which they have been thrown by the arrival OF
| external cXcitations-as We see phosphorescent
substances Illuminated by solar rays continue
TO shine after the source Of light which has
| illuminated them has disappeared. Niapce de
| Saint-Victor. for example, has shown that
luminous vibrations may he garnercd up in a
sheet Of paper and remain rs silent undula-
! tions for Il longer or shorter period. ready to
| appcGr.at the call of n rrdecming substance
| Whom We pass from inorganic matter to the
| study sof nervous elements in their dynamic
| manifestations. We find these also gifted with
q sort If organic phosphorescencc. and capable
! OF vibrating and storing up external impacts
and of causing the first impressions to revive
| after lapse Of time. Ii is the authors aim, in
one division Of his treatise. to demonstrate
what an important part this property possessed
By the nervous elements of retaining q record
of former impressions. plays in the operations
OF cerebral life. and in what varied forms
this organic phosphorcscence. always present
and distributed throughout the componcnts NJ
the brains tissue. performs its functions. 1t IL
| diffused throughout all the agglomerations %
cells. which are like so many active foci Of phos
phorescence, but unites into single resultan
which concentrates all the dispersed activltie.
OF tho cerebral cells 1t thus becomes under
the denomination Of the general faculty o
memory a true synthcsis OF one of the primer
dial properties of the nervous clements. Tho
components Of the brains tissue work in slonc,
at the operations which they accomplish il
common, cooperating with ono another by mys
ferrous channels and preserving posthumou
prolongatlons Of past impressions. They ne
| simultaneously to produce the phenomena q