Chapter XX 

 NEURAL INTEGRATION 



Neural and Not Psychical Phenomena the Subject of This 



Chapter 



THE fact should be firmly fixed in mind at the outset 

 that in this chapter we have nothing to do with the 

 organism's consciousness and volition. We are to deal with 

 the nervous system purely on the basis of its physical activi- 

 ties. Whether or not consciousness or something of the es- 

 sential nature of it appertains to part or all of the activities 

 to be treated we do not have to decide, so far as this discus- 

 sion is concerned. Our task here is to be strictly anatomical 

 and physiological, and not at all psychological. 



Distinction Between Developmental and Functional 



Integration 



The discussion may be opened by calling attention again 

 to a matter noticed incidentally in the last chapter, namely 

 the relative parts played by internal secretions and the ner- 

 vous mechanism in integrating the developing organism on 

 the one hand, and the functioning organism on the other. 

 We saw that the role of internal secretions in preserving 

 developmental equilibrium in the individual is so conspicu- 

 ous as to throw the strictly physio-logical role of the sub- 

 stances somewhat into the background. Nevertheless as evi- 

 dence, particularly clinical evidence, has made clear, their 

 part in functional equilibrium is far-reaching. 



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