244 NOTES ON THE NATURE OF INSANITY. 



able by any " necrotomical" investigation : the most skilful anato- 

 mist cannot find any traces of cramp, neuralgy, or rheumatism, by 

 the most minute inspection. Now, we know just as little of the 

 anatomy of the brain as of any other part of the body ; but we do 

 know that a very trifling alteration in the cerebral system will pro- 

 duce the most important results ; as, in apoplexy, the sudden extra- 

 vasation of a small quantity of blood causes death. For this reason, 

 it has been held to be exceedingly probable that, in those instances 

 where no trace of disease could be found in the cerebral textures, a 

 more intimate knowledge would enable us to distinguish its pre- 

 sence. Besides this, however, there is another way of accounting 

 for the failure of anatomists to discover the effects of disease in the 

 brain, after death from insanity. 



All animated beings are naturally pervaded by an active fluid 

 essence whose separation from other elementary substances has 

 hitherto resisted the most ingenious researches of physiologists. 

 Hence, therefore, this essence is ranked in the group of invisible 

 and impalpable elements : nevertheless, its existence and its agency 

 admit of demonstration, by evidences from analogy, and by induc- 

 tions founded on experience. For the reason, that it manifests 

 itself and its operations through the nervous system, this most sub- 

 tle fluid, an electric energy perhaps, is denominated the nervous 

 principle. It exists and acts according to laws like those that regu- 

 late the existence and action of the blood ; and, as the sanguineous 

 fluid circulates through its different blood-vessels, so the nervous 

 fluid circulates in or on its different nerves, in a profluent, confluent, 

 or refluent course. Decidedly then, there is a nervous circulation. 

 What the lungs and heart are to the sanguineous, that the brain 

 and lungs are to the nervous circulation ; and these two circula- 

 tions are co-existent, correlative and co-extensive. Throughout the 

 whole living frame, the sanguineous fluid distributes the supplies of 

 organic substance : the nervous fluid distributes the supplies of vital 

 energy, imparting the power of feeling and moving and thinking 

 and reasoning, as it passes forwards or backwards or sideways, in 

 circles within circles, to the textures and organs which manifest the 

 operations of life and mind. Irregularities in the stream of nervous 

 energy are the essential causes of many intense and inveterate dis- 

 eases. As in rheumatism, cramp and neuralgy, there may be ob- 

 struction, congestion or diffusion of the nervous energy ; and, from 

 its defective or excessive distribution, many diversities of Insanity 

 are derived and prolonged. When no disorganization or other 

 marks of disease can be found in the brain of an insane person, bis 



