CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE METHOD OF THE STUDY OF MIND.

Aspects of nature terrible to man in the infancy of thought; whence
superstitious feelings and fancies regarding nature. As these
disappear metaphysical entities are assigned as natural causes,
and man deems himself the "measure of the universe." Finally,
the interrogation and interpretation of nature, after the inductive
method, begin; fruitful results of this method. Its adoption
was the extension to the intellect of the law of internal adaptation
to external relations. Any proposition concerning the uncon-
ditioned or absolute is nonsense. Is the inductive method,
objectively applied, available for the study of Mind? Difficulties
in the way of such application. Development of biography, and
absence of any progress in metaphysics, are evidences of its
value. Discussion of the claim of Psychology to be inductive.
Its method of interrogating self-consciousness palpably inade-
quate; contradictory results of its use, and impossibility of
applying it inductively. Observation of animals, of children, of
the lower races of men, and of insane persons has been entirely
neglected. Self-consciousness unreliable in the information
which it does give, and incompetent to give any account of a
large part of mental activity: gives no account of the mental
phenomena of the infant, of the uncultivated adult, and of the
insane; no account of the bodily conditions which underlie every
mental manifestation; no account of the large field of unconscious
mental action exhibited, not only in the unconscious assimilation

of impressions, but in the registration of ideas and their associa-

tions, in their latent existence and influence when not active, and

in their recall into activity; and no account of the influence

organically exerted upon the brain by other organs of the body.

Mind a consensus of affective, intellectual, and active functions,

and the basis of the affective functions is in the organic life: mind

a direct function of brain, but every organic function represented

in the brain. Defects of psychological nomenclature. Incom-

petency of self-consciousness further displayed by examination

of its real' nature; its method to be dethroned, not discarded.

Physiology cannot any longer be ignored; henceforth necessary

to associate the Physiological with the Psychological method;

the former being really the more important and fruitful method.

The study of the plan of development of Mind, the study of it

forms of degeneration in the insane and in criminals, the study

of its progress and regress, as exhibited in history, and the study

of biography, should not be neglected. The union of empirical

and rational faculties, really advocated by Bacon as his method,

is strictly applicable to the investigation of mental as of other

natural phenomena. Development of mind in nature a process

of organic evolution: unity and continuity in nature. The

question of relative value of inductive or deductive reasoning

often a question of the capacity of him who uses it; difference

between genius and mediocrity. Conclusion-Notes.

Page 1-76

CHAPTER II.

MIND AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

The term "Mind" used in different senses: in its scientific sense, as
a natural force; and in its popular sense, as an abstraction made
into a metaphysical entity. The brain certainly the organ of
the Mind, and the nervous cells the immediate agents of mental
function. A correlative change in nerve element accompanies
each mental state; chemical composition of nerve element being
extremely complex and unstable. Mental power an organized
result in the proper centres-a mental organization. No nerve
in lowest animal forms; perception of stimulus being the direct
physical effect in a homogeneous substance. The differentiation

of tissues in higher animals demands special means of intercom-

munication: the nervous system, at first very simple, subserving

this function. With increasing complexity of organization, a

corresponding complexity of the nervous system. Organs of

special senses appear, in very rudimentary form at first, by differ-

entiation of the general sense of touch; corresponding central

nervous ganglia constitute entire brain in Invertebrata. Sensori-

motor function. Discriminations of organic susceptibility or

sensibility. Relation of consciousness to sensibility. Rudiments

of cerebral hemispheres and rudimentary ideation and emotion in

fishes. Convolution of the grey matter of the hemispheres in the

higher mammals, and corresponding increase of intelligence in

them. Differences in the size of the brain, and in the complexity

of its convolutions, in different races of men, and in different in-

dividuals of the same race; corresponding differences in intel-

lectual development. Human embryonic development conforms

with general plan of development of Vertebrata. Discrimina-

tion of nervous centres: (a) primary, or Ideational; (b) secondary,

or Sensorial; (c) tertiary, or Reflex; (d) quaternary, or Organic.

The evidence of the different functions of these centres is ana-

tomical, physiological, experimental, and pathological. Lock-

hart Clarke on the structure of the convolutions in man.

Discriminating observation of mental phenomena necessary, and

metaphysical conception of Mind no longer tenable. Definitions

of mind. Mind never met with apart from brain. Differences

of matter in dignity and corresponding modes of force. Mind

the most dependent of all the natural forces; relations of mental

force in nature. Concluding remarks.-Notes. Page 77-135

CHAPTER III.

THE SPINAL CORD AND REFLEX ACTION.

Spinal cord not a conducting organ only, but contains nervous
centres of reflex or automatic movements. Earliest movements*
of infant are reflex. Illustrations of reflex movements in the
decapitated frog. Pflüger's experiments on the frog, and dis-
cussion of the theory that the spinal cord has sensorial functions.
So-called design of an act not necessarily evidence of will or

consciousness. Examples of inhibitory function. The nature of
the idea of design. Spinal cord is educated, and becomes the
centre of many acquired or secondary automatic movements;
illustrations. The motor faculties mostly acquired in man
by education and exercise, but innate in many animals.
Bearing of instances of acquired adaptation of means to end on
the doctrine of final causes. Motor faculties are exhausted by
exercise, and require periodical rest for restoration of power by
nutrition. Quantitative and qualitative relation of reaction to the
impression. Innate potentiality of nerve-element, and ac-|

[quired potentiality. Hereditary transmission of acquired

faculties implants the germ of innate endowment. Continuous

function of spinal cord: it acts (a) on muscles; (b) on vessels

(c) on elements of a tissue; (d) on other nerve-centres. Pflüger's

laws of reflex movements. Causes of disorder of function of

spinal cord: (a) original differences of constitution; (b) excessive

action; (c) quantity and quality of the blood; (d) eccentric

irritation; (e) interruption of its connection with the brain.

Close sympathy between different parts of the nervous system.

Clear conceptions of the functions of spinal centres indispensable

to the study of the functions of the higher nervous centres.-

Notes.

Page 136-185

CHAPTER IV.

THE SENSORY CENTRES AND SENSATION.

Collections of grey matter constituting the sensory ganglia intervene
between the spinal centres and the supreme hemispherical ganglia.
Sensorium commune. Anatomical relations of different grey
nuclei yet uncertain, but nerve-fibres certainly connected with
their cells. Sensory ganglia with connected motor nuclei the
centres of independent reaction-of sensori-motor movements:
examples. Such movements are primary and secondary auto-
matic examples. Instinctive acts of animals are sensori-motor.
Relation of consciousness to sensori-motor action: examples to
illustrate this relation, and discussion of them. Greater acute-
ness of sense in animals than in man, and consequent reactions

to impressions of which he is not sensible. Development of
sense in man by special cultivation. The origin and nature of
instincts. The law of heredity, and the law of variation. Trans-
formation of rational into instinctive acts. Relation of sensation

to perception. The dawn of perception. The ideas of object
and subject: the conception of the ego. Development of per-
ception by synthesis of sensations. Sensations act as symbols in
sensori-motor action. Composite nature of mature sensation.
The idea of organization necessary to the just interpretation of
sensation; assimilation and differentiation. No positive evidence
of intelligence and volition in the sensory ganglia: uncertain
whether they possess consciousness or not. The division made
between psychology and physiology is artificial. Consciousness
a concomitant of mental function, not the essential factor in it.
Subordination of the sensory centres to the cerebral ganglia.
Causes of disorder of the sensory ganglia: (a) original defects;
(b) excessive stimulation; (c) quantity and quality of blood; (d)
reflex irritation; (e) influence of cerebral hemispheres (?). Con-
cluding remarks on the analogy between the functions of the
sensory centres and of the spinal centres.-Notes.

Page 186-258

CHAPTER V.

THE SUPREME CEREBRAL CENTRES AND IDEATION.

Cortical centres of the hemispheres the centres of Ideation. Emotion
and volition. Speculations concerning the functions of different
convolutions. Pathological observations and inferences. Experi-
ments on animals, and the results. Anterior convolutions are
connected with motor, posterior with sensory, tracts. Path of a
psychical reflex act. The cerebral correlate of idea. Formation
of concrete and abstract ideas. Animals have not abstract
ideas, and the lowest savages have few or none. The so-called
fundamental or innate ideas. The probable mechanism of ideation,
and of the formation of concepts from precepts. Reflex cerebral
function-how far an explanation. Different modes of operation
of idea : (a) on movements, voluntary and involuntary, conscious
and unconscious; (b) on the sensory ganglia,--physiologically,