130 OF THE FUNCTIONS OF 



SECT. XIL 



OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 

 IN GENERAL." 



197. WE now come to the other class of functions 

 termed animal (83, II. \ by which the body and mind 

 are connected. They have obtained their name from 

 existing in animal systems only, and from enjoying a 

 greater range than those properly denominated vital. 



198. The principal organs of these functions are the 

 brain, medulla spinalis, and the nerves, the greater part 

 of which originate from the two former. * They may 

 be properly referred to two classes, sensorial and ner* 

 vous: the former comprehending all excepting the nerves 

 and their immediate origin, all that serves more di- 

 rectly as the connection between the office of the nerves 

 and the faculties of the mind. 



199. Upon this division rests the beautiful observa- 

 tion of the illustrious Soinmerring-j- respecting the cor- 

 respondence between the relative size of each class 

 with the faculties of the mind, That the smaller the 

 nerves are, compared with the sensorial class, the greater 

 is the developement of the mental faculties. In this 

 sense, man has the largest brain of all animated beings, 



* Eustachius, tab. xviii. fig. 2. 



j- Diss. de basi cncephali. Getting. 1778. 4to. p. 17. Also his work, already 

 quoted, upon the anatomy of the negro. 59 sq. 



J. Gotter. Ebcl, Obscrvationcs neurologiccc ex anatome comparata^ Traj. ad- 



Viadr.. 1788. 8vo. 



