25 



a spiritual nature. Since the human brain, the special 

 organ for intelligent life in animals, appears in a much 

 more highly developed form in man, we are justified in 

 considering it capable of producing mental phenomena 

 of a higher grade and perfection. That we have, in addi- 

 tion to the physical mental faculties which we hold in 

 common with the lower animals, a spiritual nature, which 

 merges in, harmonizes with and controls them, and that 

 this spiritual nature, together with the experience it gains 

 through connection with our physical bodies is imperish- 

 able, is a truth of revelation. 



The lecturer then copiously illustrated the automatic 

 action of the brain, some of the conditions under which 

 it occurs, and its effects in the production of illusions, 

 through its action upon the sensorium (or ganglia at the 

 base of the brain) , as explained by Dr. Carpenter. 



The inhibitory action of the brain, first demonstrated 

 by Brown Sequard, was then explained and discussed 

 with special reference to the inhibitory action of predom- 

 inatino; thouofhts. 



Turning from the more strictly physiological portion of 

 his theme, the lecturer sought first to remove objections 

 to the facts he had presented, raised by those who fear 

 that they may be used to remove moral responsibility by 

 representing man as a mere product of material forces. 



He showed that physiological facts do not and cannot 

 deny the existence of a soul, nor do they account for the 

 soul's origin or existence. 



Whether a laro^e number of our mental faculties have 

 been prepared for us by the slow process of development 

 and evolution, is immaterial. 



The product and its future we esteem above the man- 

 ner in which it came into existence. 



