The Scottish Naturalist. 283 



suicide, for it makes all investigation impossible. If any one 

 will choose to look at Maudsley's arguments against the intro- 

 spective method, he shall find the following summary of them, 

 given by an able writer, correct — " 1st, Few can use the intro- 

 spective method. 2nd, Those who can are not agreed as to the 

 results thereby secured. 377/," Nobody can use it at all." (Cald., 

 Hdb. 5,6.) We can see into our own souls by the light of 

 inward experience, and we must see into them thus in order to 

 seeing into them or into any other souls in any outward manner. 



Formerly I quoted Goodsir, as against Mr. D. Spalding, on this 

 point. I may now quote G. H. Lewes as against Dr. Lindsay. 

 In the preface to his " Problems of Life and Mind," Mr. Lewes 

 says, " Rightly to understand the mental condition of animals, 

 we must first gain a clear vision of the fundamental processes 

 in man ; since, obviously, it is only through our knowledge of 

 the processes in ourselves that we can interpret the manifesta- 

 tions of similar processes in them." This testimony is the more 

 emphatic and valuable, that Mr. Lewes had began his work on 

 the other rule. Those who would think to begin mental studies 

 with the animal soul, and those who would think to pursue such 

 studies solely by physiological observation and experimentation, 

 are both under the same kind of illusion. It is simply impos- 

 sible and absurd to attempt to investigate either the animal or 

 human soul without the introspective method by consciousness. 

 Without the knowledge which that method alone, and from the 

 first moment of the exercise of self-reflection, has given, no 

 mode of anatomical or physiological procedure could ever have 

 revealed the more essential facts, or even the true nature of 

 any of the phenomena. And the reason why physiologists 

 think that they are investigating mind without this method is 

 that this knowledge, gotten only by the instrument supposed to 

 be discarded and held unconsciously, is unconsciously employed 

 partly to direct, partly to interpret physiological observation. 



In like manner, it is impossible and absurd to think to begin an 

 investigation of the animal soul immediately and solely in itself 

 and without a knowledge of man's physical processes. With- 

 out that knowledge consciously, or unconciously employed, as 

 the key for the interpretation of animal phenomena, we could 

 never get so far as to be able to describe these phenomena as 

 psychical at all. The reason why it is thought that they are 

 capable of investigation without any self-furnished appliances, is 

 that that key which the investigator has always carried with 



