43J 



The so-called mediate assuciafions occur, when memory -images 

 flash into consciousness that seem to have no connection with the 

 associating idea. On closer inspection it will appear that the associ- 

 ated idea has not linked itself directly to the associating idea, but 

 to an unconscious memory-image. Without this intermediary the 

 association would not have originated. The strange freaks of normal 

 men, of hystericae and in cases of dementia praecox, may often be 

 assigned to these intermediary ideas unsuspected at the moment of 

 the association. Afterwards they crop up again by concentrating 

 ourselves entirely upon the association, or by other means, such as 

 association experiments, hypnosis, etc. Similar phenomena occur in 

 physiological processes. Many renal diseases are attended with hyper- 

 trophy of the heart. The real relation is still a moot point ; probably 

 the enlargement of the heart arises from the increase of the blood- 

 pressure, which some believe to result again fiom the retention 

 of the intermediary products of metabolism, or, according to 

 others, from an excess of adrenalin-products. It is evident, then, 

 that here also we have to do with two phenomena mediately con- 

 nected. A similar example is afforded by hypertrophy of the uterus 

 in pregnancy. This is not a direct action of the foetus upon the 

 uterus, as this hypertrophy also reveals itself in extra-uterine preg- 

 nancy. Now, inquiries have proved that most probably internal 

 secretion of the coi-pus lutenm comes into play here. So, here again 

 we observe a connection between the two phenomena through the 

 mediation of one that has long remained unsuspected. The hyper- 

 trophy of the mammary tissue in pregnancy is assignable to the 

 same cause. 



We ha\e already referred to the phenomena of ousting the centri- 

 fugal impulses by conscious will-manifestations and even bj' other 

 reflex-impulses, nearer to the threshold of consciousness. Definite 

 proof of it is afforded by the superseded reflexes, as that of Babinski 

 and the sucking reflex, and the superseded associated movements. 

 As stated above, these reflexes have not disappeared ; they recur 

 when the inhibitory influences do not exist anymore. In this respect 

 they resemble retrograde amnesia. Here also memoi«^' images are 

 stamped out by intensely operating, often highly enjotional, impres- 

 sions. The memories closest to the threshold of consciousness, still 

 exerting their after-effect upoji the ceutre of consciousness (which 

 proves them to be still coexistent with the superseding stimulus), 

 are thrown back farthest from the view-point. We may, then, put 

 it in this way that Heymans's ingenious idea is applicable to the 

 superseded reflexes as well as to the superseded thoughts, viz. 



28 

 Proceedings Royal Acad. Amsterdam. Vol. XXV. 



