3^2 THE FACULTY OF HEARING. 



own states of sensation, through which alone the differences of 

 things (and the things themselves) are present to our minds. And 

 to sav that we have only five senses because we have only so many 

 gates of sense is absurd. Numberless qualitative and quantitative 

 differences are included within the sphere of action of each sensory 

 organ. There are many kinds as well as degrees of tactile, 

 auditory, visual impression, &c., the recognition of which depends 

 probably not upon separately exercised elements of the physical 

 instrument so much as upon correlated effects, contrasts and 

 mental balance of sensations. But every distinct physical 

 impression must be received in such a way by the sensory 

 apparatus that its reaction results in a message sent to the central 

 sensory organ or brain. 



But the question here presents itself, is each sensory reaction 

 upon physical stimulus accompanied by a consciousness of different 

 qualitative or quantitative impression? The ordinary answer is 

 that the sensory organ itself, eye, ear, tactile papilla, &c., is 

 respectively blind, deaf, and void of any consciousness. As a 

 physical instrument one or the other part of the apparatus is told 

 off to its special duty mechanically performed in response to a 

 mechanical stimulus ; receiving but not perceiving the stimulus 

 which it transmits to the sensorium in whose " mode of motion " 

 consists the consciousness of the animal. 



Whatever this explanation be worth in animals possessing a 

 brain (and the insect does) another view of the matter must needs 

 be taken when there is no central sensorium to originate con- 

 sciousness. In tracing the scale downwards until no '^organs'' 

 are found, and at most but a slight differentiation of the common 

 sensation, it is certain that if there be any consciousness it must be 

 localised In peripheral parts of the body as slight differentiation of 

 general sensation. If in following the synthesis instead of the 

 analysis of sensation, we start from those simple organisms in 

 whom sensory organs and functions are not yet differentiated, but 

 form part of the general sensory endowment of the whole animal 



