The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-06-15
Select Sturp.
THE RAJAH'S NEMESIS.
From the ArsonAut

NENha t4tI ~ t@vtAN@h
In nv travels abroad | once encountered
an extraordinary illustration Of the shifts 10
which nature will resort in her efforts to
overcome the Inconvenience arising from a
deprivation Of the tools with wh3eh she IS
accustomed to work; and the facts Of the case
are sufficiently peculiar and tragic to warrant
their relation.
was summoned from Calcutta to proceed
TO the heart Of India, being wanted by Ger
tain rieh and powerful raiah to perform a
{ dangerous surgical Operations upon one Of the
f wouea Of his household, I found the ralah
F % be a man Of lofty character, noble and
generous; but, as circumstances atterward
developed, he was possessed Of sense Of
E cruelty purely Oriental and in sharp contrast
Z to the extreme Incidence OF his disposition.
B.. tie vas 50 grateful for the success which at
tended my mission that be urged me 10 remain
his guest at the palace as long as ]; shoVid
please me to stay; aud, may be surmised,
. thankfully accepted the invitation.
One Of his servants carl attracted any
notice, fog he was a man OF marvellous eapaei-
" og maiice and viadictiveness. His name
vas Nrranya. and am certain that there
mast have been a large proportion OF Malay
blood ia bis veins; for. autke the Indians
from uhom be differed also in eomPlexionf. ].
be- was extremely active, alert, neFvoas and
sensitive. lie bad oDe redeetaing trait, aad
that Vas love for his master.
Oaee bis vioEcat temper Ted him to the
commission Of an asroeious crimc-,he fatal
siai,6iag Of dsarE Ia punishment fcs shis
the rsjah ordered ,hA, NcrAnya's right arm
abe offending osel be sevsssd froH bis body.
Tbs sentence was executed in rather bang
Ing fashion b. a siap.a fellow armed ~i'b an
axe; and I, being a surgeon, vas compelled,
in order 10 save NcEanya's lile, TO perform a
seeoaa a=paia,ioa uPoa the sss@P Of the
arm, vhieh leis not vrstige Of the limb re
maising.
Iass here. As a possible partial exPlaaasion
OF The terrible and extraordinary things which
iolloued masi call intelligent attention 10
matter whieh ha. long engaged ny notice.
We see that whea one arm has been lost,
the other aegair.s an unwontea asxissty,
thus measarabiy compromising for the loss.
Further. II both aFsns hare been removed. an
extraordinary nimhleaeSs Is exhibited in she
feet, fo5 they come TO discharge 10 consider
able extent she functions Of hands-to 50
grra, an extent thai The toss display Po~er
OF prehensioa which one might Suppose had
not existed in them since our abandonment,
/ in the evolutionary process, Of The tree climb
ing habit. Thus, wiih the tors an srmless
man may learn 10 bold pen and 10 write, 20
load and IRE a pistol, 10 cot food wi,h knife,
aud conysy il 70 bis mouth with = fork, TO
sew, aud to do huadred other useful things,
and some which are parely ornamental. a.
painting. playing harp. aud the ike. once
saw al armless naa give his wife sound
,hrAshinE With rawhide whip.
II. now, one Of the legs be removed, the re-
rnaising Zoo, wiIl develop an almost redoubled
capacity. It's agility beiFg marvellous. Bat
suppose that this member too shoaId be parted
with-has nature reached the end Of her re
soarcesg Remember the de exteFisy that she
developed in those members which remained
/ after the ampaiation Of others was primarily
Of character TO take the place OF that which
enabled The others to minister to the needs Of
/ life. Granted that both arms and both legs
I are gone, has nature, have asked, reached
+ the limit OF her resources, in the accomplish
meni Of an earnest aud controlling purpose.
praiseSOrthy or perverted:
let US inquire into the philosophy OF the
~ a,..,,..s,, ..ffres IA farifv
4 is developed. It is easy for the scientists to
tell us that this is done by the concentration
of the will and the persistent exercise OF the
muscles in obedience thereto; but to my un-
derstanding this explanation is not sufficient.
The principle of life, amazing persistence of
this principle, and the ways in which this
persistence is maintained, are all inserutable
mysteries, necessarily and forever beyond
our comprehension. It's the fashion ottrans-
eendentalism mot followed, however, by the
greater scientists) to maintain that we have a
spiritual, as well as material, paiurei and
by evolution there has grown out Of that be
lief another, that this spiritual nature is i'm
perishable, indestructible-the fashionable,
though inaccurate, term is Immortal, The
spirit is assumed to be the ego, the conscious
ness--that which fixes individuality and de
termines identity.
Now, we know that mind is consciousness
and that the mind has its seat within the brain
But the brain is identical in its chemical
( structural, molecular and functional charac
teristics with the nerves which lead from !
) and ramify throughout the body; therefore tn,
mind, and consequently the spirit, rami6e
throughout the body; and hence it follows tha
il the spirit is indestruetible and should b.
separated from the body (by death or other
wise) it must have the essential form an,
e appearance of the body. The fact of on
7 being unable to see it presents no obstacle Il
!, the argument; for we are unable to see count
/ less things which we are certain exist. Tn
argument thus put in logical shape may &C
count, by unconscious synthetical reasoning
for the prevalent belief, seemingly inherent
= that the spirit retains the form of the bod
after death; for there is no other conceptio
of the human spirits form-we never imagin
it as having the shape of ball, or cometl
or balloon, or cloud, or as being formles;
Then it must follow, that, assuming th
spirit to be indestructible and as having tn
form of the body, the amputation of lin
does not exterminate that part of the spir
II which occupied that limb; but as the indivis
bility of the spirit must be admitted as a