On the Sense of Feeling. 287 



attributes of infinite power, wisdom, and benevolence, whose mighty works 

 extend throughout the boundless regions of space, and whose comprehen- 

 sive plans embrace eternity," W. B. Carpenter. 



[The author of the foregoing essay (which has little pretension to origi- 

 nality), wishes to acknowledge his obligations to the following works, from 

 which his materials have been chiefly derived, and in which those who 

 wish to pursue the subject will find much additional information. Dr. 

 Grant's Lectures on Comparative Anatomy, published in the Lancet. 

 Traite Elementaire d'Auatoraie Compar^e, par C. G. Cams. Dr. Roget's 

 Animal and Vegetable Physiology. Tiedemann's Comparative Physiology. 

 Elliotson's Physiology. Edwards on the Influence of Physical Agents on 

 Life. Stevens on the Blood. Lindley's Elements of Botany. And, an 

 Essay on Vegetable Respiration, by Professor Burnett, in the Journal of 

 the Royal Institution, N. S. vol. I.] 



Supplemental Note to Part I. — The following paragraph is copied from the 

 Supplement to Dr. Alison's Physiology, which has just appeared. "The currents 

 visible in the fluids surrounding many aquatic animals, are evidently connected with 

 their respiration ; and it is a very curious observation, lately made by Purkinje and 

 Valentine, and confirmed by Dr. Sharpey, (Edin. New Phil. Journal, vol. xix. 1835;) 

 that similar currents may be seen on the mucous membrane of the air passages in ani- 

 mals of all classes, if immersed in water within a short time after death. But as these 

 are seen equally on other mucous membranes, it is probable that their immediate 

 object is the movement and regular renewal of the mucus covering the membrane, 

 rather than of the air passing over it. In this instance, as well as in the case of the 

 lower animals, the absolute dependence of the currents on the movements of the 

 cilia seen to attend them, appears to have been too hastily assumed by several au- 

 thors. In several instances at least, it seems certain that both the degree and kind 

 of movement, seen in such currents, are inexplicable by the vibrations of any cilia 

 that have been described." 



ON THE SENSE OF FEELING. 



Feeling is the most important of all the senses, inasmuch as it is the 

 foundation of our knowledge of the material world ; and its relative de- 

 grees of perfection in different animals, accompany marked differences in 

 their sagacity. 



Feeling has been defined as the geometric sense, being that which sup- 

 plies ns with correct ideas concerning the form and figure of bodies. We 

 derive from it also our idea of solidity. 



This sense is extended over the whole body, and the sensations arising 

 from it arc excited by the immediate contact of the exciting substance. If 

 we apply a foreign body to the breast or shoulder of a man, he will feel it, 

 that is, he will be aware that he is touched ; but he will not have any idea 

 of the figure of this body, because it only touched the skin upon a single 

 plane. And so with such other parts of the body, as do not admit of being 

 adjusted to the different surfaces of foreign bodies, nor are able to bend 



