EE ————— ee 
75 
constituted is the telegraphic apparatus of the nerve system which 
places the brain in connexion with its most important subordinates 
in government, the muscles and sense organs. 
In comparison with this, the arrangement of the soul-apparatus 
in our previously-observed worm is very simple, but it is not 
different in kind. If we irritate the worm in any way, if we stimu- 
late its tender skin with the point of a needle or with a bit of 
ice, it is at once made aware of the corresponding change of pressure 
or of temperature by the sensory skin-cells, which, as sentinels, keep 
watch everywhere over the outer surface of the skin; they at once 
telegraph their perception through the skin-nerves to the brain. 
In the same way, the waves of sound which meet the auditory 
bladder, are perceived by the auditory-cells of the latter as noises 
or sounds, and are telegraphically announced by the auditory- 
nerves to the brain. Not less do the seeing-cells of the eye, when 
struck by a beam of light, send at once a light or a colour telegram 
to the brain. Here sits the high government of the cell-constituted 
state, consisting of a few large star-shaped cells, whose ramifications 
are in immediate connexion on one side with the sensation-bearing 
afferent nerves, and on the other with movement-exciting muscle 
nerves. As soon as telegraphic information of any variation in 
the surrounding outer world reaches the central government 
from the sensory nerves, this information is passed on from 
one to another by the excited brain-cells (or ganglion-cells) as 
sensation, and the high council now determines what is to be done. 
The result of this determination is telegraphed as will by means 
of the muscle nerves to the muscles which forthwith carry out 
the command by contraction of their filament-cells, by movement. 
Without doubt therefore, the most important 7é/e in soul-life 
is played by the intricate, and reticularly connected nerve cells of 
the brain, the ganglion-cells, or sow/-cel/s; for in reality they form 
the central government of the whole many-celled animal body. 
They take up all the views of the outer world which are sent by the 
sense-cells by means of the centripetal telegraph wires of the 
sensory-nerves to the brain. They impart at the same time also all 
the commands of the will, which go out by the centrifugal conduct 
