Posthumous tracts

발행: 1847년

분량: 175페이지

출처: archive.org

분류: 미분류

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to enable every severat gland to expand and contraci; likeWisea greater Or Smaller number of gland8, or a complete grous, Oreven the Whole ut Onee. Winding channeis, surroWs, depreSSed lines and Dee spaces intervene belWeen iis paris, and distinguisheach partition. The cerebrum has the poWer os rendering Retive any fibres Or forces that it chooses, and therelare the motive forces of the body. It follows that it can animate Or excite toaction an entire muscle at One time, part os a musese at another, and a second muscle and a part os it simultaneousty With thesrst: also that it can in a moment transser the action DOm Onemusele to another, and so produce the form Os any action har

Voluntary action is a vectat and particular animalion or olfation of the cortical ylan is of the cerebrum, δub- ordinale to iis generat animalion.

The faci os the expansion and constriction os the Whole cerebrum, in no Wise hinders iis paris uiso DOm expanding and constricting one by one in a disserent mutiner Dom the WhOle. No generat motion Or action ever hinderes Or prevenis Specialand particular motions, but rather facilitates them. The circumstance Os an Organ being capille of rising and moxing byitself, depend8 entirely ou form, that is to say, on position and connexion Os paris. The Siluation and connexion of the corticalparis of the cerebrum is such ns to allow of this; a d hence iis Voluntary endoWment. But When the cortices glandes are as it

Were tied and compacted together, and their finest interstices and divisions obliterated, as in fleep, lethargy, carus, then this voluntary faculty or activity censes. As soon hoWever as theyare again raised M, Whicli talies place in Walling, they ali rouseto voluntary action. It is theresere the animation of the individual glands that produces action; for by this animation the animal spirit is transmitted into the motive fibres WheresOeVerthey are grouped or siluated. It Would theresere be a Worthyenqui to institute, Where the cortical glands are siluated in the brain that correspond to one or the other set os motive fibres

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in the body; i. e., Whether in the vertex of the brain, in iis border, or in iis very substance p

Smontaneou' and natural action prooee δε from Ue yeneralanimation of the cerebrum and cerebellum, undiδlin-yuiδ ed by any particular animalion.

Spontaneous and natural action me Opposed to Voluntary; the former being generat, consequently indiscriminate, indistinctand obscure, While the lalter is discriminate, distinet, and peculiarly the attribute of paris or singulars. The cerebellum is not dividen into masses, limbs and groups of paris, ali distinctly move te, in the fame manner res the cerebrum; and hetice itis that the action of the cerebellum is nuturat, but that os thecerebrum Voluntary; for the fame renson also the action of the cerebrum is naturat, because generat, during Sleep. Τhe peculiarity, hoWever, of the action of the bruitis in disserent animais, and of the actions os the medulla oblongata and spinalmarro , is amply SheWn by the form and state, or by the siluation, conueXion, and coexistence of the cortices glands and the muscular fibres corresponding to them. It is the formWhich mahes everything What we sud it to be. Moreover thecortical gland 8 of the cerebrum, evioying, as they do, the poWer of Separation, may be put on the stretch to any particular de-gree, as in the waking state. It is Worthy of remata, that thegenerat animation os both the cerebrum and cerebellum, causes

the muscies nil over the body, With the exception of those of the lungs and heari,) although perpetualty in action, to Leeptheir equilibrium by means of their antagoniStS.

os both Me cerebrum and cerebellum; and herice areo able of both natural and voluntary a tion.

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commonly associated With the fibres of the cerebellum. Τhus in the Wining state ali the voluntary muscies stand in perfectrendiness to execute the orders of the cerebrum, While duringsleep they live under the auspices of the cerebellum. In faci Iscarcely thinii there is a single voluntary muscle that is not supplied also by the fibro of the cerebellum. And in the hereditself the fibres are commixed in this Wise. The fibres of the Cerebrum marvelloiasty intertWine and clasp With the fibres of the cerebellum, first in the annular protuberance, nexi in theneighborhood of the testes, and lastly in the spinal marroW.Ιndeed they may be said to run in Wedded palas in every nerveand in every musole. This is especially manifest in the lungs, whicli breuth by Dight as Weli as by dV, Whether the cerebrum is RSleep Or aWine. SO complete is the union of influences, that not a single aut Os respiration happens during the day, in Whichthe natural and voluntary pOWers are Dot ready comminsed; as We may ali observe by caresully attending to the play of ourbreathing. In faci respiration is exactly suited and proportionalto the state of the cerebrum, including the animus and mind of that organ. Some Os the viscera of the body, hoWeVer, arepurely influenced by the fibre of the cerebellum, as the pharyΠX, stomach, inteStines, mesentery, heari, liVer, sancreaS, Spleen, testicles, epididymides, Ac. Other viscera again partine equallyos tho fibres of both the bratus, as the trachea, lungS, and eyes: and there are Others in Whicli the fibre of the cerebrum prevatis; as the muscies of the head, nech, chest, abdomen, armS, IOins, leg8, laet, fingers, &e.

The expansion and constriction Of the glands, causes theexpression of the animal spirit into the nervolis fibres, aud

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through them, into the motive fibres; and action is the result. In this Way the gland is determinant of actions. The glanditself, hoWever, must be determined by some relatively intimate and higher force, sor it cannot determino iiseis. In the gland then there is a living element, Whicli can Will, en joy pOWer, andalso aci; that is to say, Whicli can in a moment excite the glandsto aut in one distinctive manner. The causo os action is stilltheresere a matter lar deeper enquiry, and When We institute suchenquiry, We snd a prior cause in a certain purer, more intimnte and simple cortex, Whicli is contained in the gland itself as in iis oWn most diminutive brain. We have trealed ali eady of this simpler cortex, and 8heWn that our intellectual or rationes mindresides in it, Whose ossice it is to perceive, think, conclude, Will, and determine into act. Τhis gland is furnished besides With iis oWn most simple fibriis and vesseis, and assumes disserent states according to the changes of the mind. There re the iniud it-self is determinant of the action os the gland, and this, of the action Of the muscies. But the srst determinant of ali is thesoui, Without Whose consent nothing Whatever can tine place.

Compound actions exist by the motion of the disserent mus-cles, and of the disserent motive fibres therein. The muscies and fibres are determined by a higher poWer and force. Thispower and larce reside in the cerebrum, Whicli is the fource Whetice actions are derived. The cerebrum has the poWer Of

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the longue, lips, palate, larynx, trachea and lungs, never exi StSWithout premeditation, or a previous vlew os What is to be said: there re the character of thought determines that os discourse. Walliing, jumping, the fossing os the urnas, gesticulation, change

the numerous acts and operations that it plenses. This cannot be ascribed to mere correspondenoe; lar action and motion nevercati exist Without implying an active larce actualty impressed. It is clear Dom What has gone be re, that there is no thought Without a change of state; and that this change of state tines place in the cortices gland, hom Whicli the fibres are derived; also that the cortices gland must be actualty expanded and constricted, to drive the animal spirit into the fibre of the cerebrum, and so luto the motive fibre os the body. Experienee completelyest lishes the laci, that the muscies are actualty dilated audconstricted, and the limbs in this Way set in motion by meatis of the tendons. Hence it appears, that ali things in the bodyare so humed as to aut completely at the bidding of the miud; r.e., that the body is the image of the minu's Operations. Andthus in setting abolit to form or create iis bOdy Dom the ovum, the foui vi0Ws in iiself or iis ideas, nil those Operations as ulready

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Hready 8aW, heard, lassed, spolie, Wallied, moved iis aris andiis fingors, and iis viscera likeWise, iis heari, iis stomach, iis intestines. The result is an ansWerable Organigation, as themarhing of the foetes body is the result of the imagination oftho mother. Nature Whicli is the instrumental cause, is So constituted, as to obey the spiritual essenue in ali things ;' as also asterWards, When the body is enti rely formed, in actions them-selves. In the foui then there is everything in potency that there is in the body in act. Τhe very body declares eVery mOmont that it is the image of the operations Os iis foui.

natural action. AS appears Dom speech; sor the longue, the lips, the cavityof the mouth, and the trachea, sold and roli, Without a moment's hesitation, to enable them to articulate the whole of the voice OrSound . They run into actions that have become habituat; whichnctions, hOWever, must have been osten repeaten and have be- come familiis previously. The like tines place in singing. Soalso the eye turns in a manner spontaneousty to objecis. Andagain the fingers ruti automaticalty over the strings of the Ure,or the harp. During the action os Walliing also, the feei and

The above sentences involve an important doctrine in reseretice to nature asine habitation of human society. For as the body is constructed beforeliand with express reference to est the natural actions that the individual mill ever have occaSion to perform ; so nature, and the human organiZation considered as a part of nature and a mutabie subject of the providentiat series, are constructed With a fore-gone referetice to ali the states, aris and requiremenis, that humanity, RS a created ining and a compound individual, can possibiy imply. The Worid then, in iis fundamental conception, contains a promise of the eXpress gratification Os every good natural assection, every true natural thought, and every just sensual want in iis minutest delati, and in iis entirest compass. Neither the body nor the worid are in themselves hindrances, but On the contrary means, to fulness os satisfaction and universat competence, Quoerite et Invenietis. - Tro

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But the mode in Whicli this is brought abolit, is explained by

the anatomy of the cerebrum, medulla oblongata and spinalmarroW. The cortical substance of the cerebrum seuds doWnfibres innumerable to both these marroWs, Whicli it associates With their oWn proper fibres. Thus the medulla oblongata and spinal marrOW are compellen to aut at the bidding of the cerebrum or of the miud in the cerebrum. And when this harmonyis Woli established by frequent use, then the cineritious substances of these marrOWs, at the syst sign DOm the cerebrum, rusti into convenient actions, as is the cerebrum commandenthem all. The precise Organism, hoWeVer, lar carrying out thisos et will be explained in the Ρaris on the Cerebrum.

Internat action is thought and an attribute of the mitid; but externat action belongs to the body. Internat action orthought is perso ed in the innermost paris Of the cerebrum, Orin the purest Organic Or cortical substances; externat action is performed in the Outermost paris, or in the muscies of thebody. Action is change of state; so also is thought; indoed the lalter can have no existence apart DOm change of state in the cortices glands; nor yet cin the action of the body, Without a change of state in the muscies, and consequently in their motive fibres. BetWeen these two actions a sirin harmony isost lished by the fibres, which bugin in the above-mentionedglands, and end in the muscies; so this harmony is actuat. Even the manner in Whicli tho most delicate fibre With the mostyielding spirit can produce sueti great and grave effecis, maybe understood is We consider, that in the wholo muscle there is

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nothing substantial but the fibre, and that during every aci os expansion, this fibre expelf the blood, Whicli is gravitating orhemy, and during every aut os constriction, admits it. As thisis dono in tho infinite minimal potnts of the motive fibre, and hetice in ali potnts of the muscio, so os necessity it is done in thewhOle muscle, and implies the action of the whole muscle. The compound derives ali iis sorce Dom simple substances and larces. The exceeding minuteness, the nothitagness, according to ourideas, of that Whicli can move masses in space, may be concluded Dom ali the essects of nature, nay, even demonstrated by calculation.

According to the common rute, force Supposes action; actionSupposes change of State; and change of State Supposes fluxion, whicli cannot be conceived apari froin the idea Os motion; again motion supposes an effeci. Thus the sufficient reason for the actuality of the effect is contained in active force as the essicient cause. The foui or the intellectual mitid' is the supreme sorceos iis Lingdom, and cannot exist Without thought, Whicli is internat action. This action, Vig., thought, SuppOSeS a change of state in the cortical gland . This change of state cannot be conceived Without change of the essentiat determinations, or thesorm; and lience not Without variation os position and nexus in the simple fibres and other substances in the besorementionedglands; or Without the idea os motion. The result is some-

times termed an effeci, Sometimes a pheuomenon. Τheres retho effect os internat action is externat action; and the effect os externat action is that whicli is produced by action, and intended by the mind: thus the end coincides and conspires With the effeci. But I say that there can be no change of state sithout an idea os motion. It is true there may be such change With-

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out motion itsolf; sor the existence of motion implies a centre, a circumseretice, disserent quarters, upWardS, doWΠWardS, Ssaceor place; Whicli cannot be predicated of the simplest forms; lienee Deither can motion, although the idea os motion may; but Whicli idea, in accommodation to tho understanding, muStbo fixed in objecis that our Senses can recogniZe RS moVed.

Every entity has iis distinctivo quali ty Dom iis form; Dom thesame therofore it has the predicate of heing either devoid os, orparticipant in, moti ΟΠ.

Rationes action has essecis, only in order that there may be

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an end in tho effeci, or in order that the action may exist soran end. True intelligenee, Which is spirituat, regarns the endlar Whicli it exisis, and the end only. Thus the animal Ling-dom and the bodily system are formed, ΠOt for action alone, Orfor the effect of action, but for the ond. The soles is in the intuition and estate of ends ; the body of the foul, in the representation os essecis, containing the ends Which the soles contemptates. Effects are physical and bodily, and attendod Withmotion ; ends are spiritual, and devoid os motion. It is there- fore necessary that the election Os ends be Deo, in ordor that there may be an end to be produced by action, and that theaction may be rational. Without election and liberty me should Os co se have necessity, resulting in animal Or purely naturalaction; the subject heing bound to One peculiar course Ofaction; Whicli is incompatibio With rationality and voluntarypoWer. AleanWhile When action is finia, is sor an end, the endso rules in the action, that the physical instrumentali ty Which

stituted as to bo in profound ignorance of the mode Whereby the idea of the mi Dd, and the Will, pass into action; in orderthat there may be nothing to provent intuitions of ends Dombecoming actual. It solioWs Doni these considerations, that human actions are to be considered as spiritual and not bodily.

ctorion. Internat action is the predicate of the cortices gland and iis fibres, and thus it is the action os a substanee; externat actionis the predicate of the muscle and iis fibres, and thus it also is the action os a substance. Whether the substance to Whichaction is attributed be simple Or compotand, it muSt be conceived as made up of an infinity of individual or simpler substances, Whicli represent some forin by their fluxion. In the

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