414 THE SOCIAL ORGANISM 



Moreover, in both cases these original centres become 

 increasingly automatic. In the developed vertebrate- ani 

 mal, they have little function beyond that of conveying 

 impressions to, and executing the determinations of, the 

 larger centres. In our highly organized government, the 

 monarch has long been lapsing into a passive agent of l*ar- 

 liament; and no\v, ministers are rapidly falling into the 

 same position. 



Nay, between the two cases thore is a parallelism, even 

 in respect of the exceptions to this automatic action. For 

 in the individual creature, it happens that under circum 

 stances of sudden alarm, as from a loud sound cloc at 

 hand, an unexpected object starting up in front, or a slip 

 from insecure footing, the danger is guarded against by 

 borne quick involuntary jump, or adjustment of the limbs, 

 that takes place before there is time to consider the im 

 pending evil, and take deliberate measures to avoid it : the 

 rationale of which if, that these violent impressions pro 

 duced on the senses, are rellected from the sensory ganglia 

 to the spinal cord and muscles, without, as in ordinarv 

 cases, first passing through the cerebrum. In like manner, 

 on national emergencies, calling for prompt action, the 

 King and Ministry, not having time to lay the matter be 

 fore the great deliberative bodies, themselves issue com 

 mands for the requisite movements or precautions: the 

 primitive, and now almost automatic, directive centres, re 

 sume for a moment their original uncontrolled power. 

 And then, strangest of all, observe that in either case there 

 is an aftcrprocess of approval or disapproval. The individ 

 ual on recovering from his automatic start, at once contem 

 plates the cause of his fright ; and, according to the case, 

 concludes that it was well lie moved as he did, or con 

 demns himself for his groundless alarm. In like manner, 

 the deliberative powers of the State, discuss, as soon aa 

 may be, the unauthorized acts of the executive powers 



