MEDIUM BETWEEN MIND AND MATTER. 27 



Still another Greek philosopher, Galen, taught 

 the subserviency of the electric ether as a gen- 

 eral medium of communication between material 

 bodies and the immaterial mind, or soul; and 

 even between mind and mind. He foreshadowed 

 modern discoveries in electro-telegraphy in the 

 following memorable worda : 



" Admitting the soul to be immaterial, it hath 

 for its immediate tunicle a surrounding ether, or 

 luciform vehicle ; by the intervention whereof it 

 moveth bodies, and is reciprocally reacted upon 

 therefrom. This tunicle of the soul, whether it 

 be called pure ether, luciform vehicle, or animal 

 spirit, seemeth to be that which is moved by the 

 volitions to act on the grosser organs, or muscles, 

 as may be determined by the soul ; from which 

 the ether immediately receives impulses, and in 

 which the original moving power truly and appro- 

 priately resides." 



This supposition of an old philosopher appears 

 to be verified by every step of progress towards 

 the mysterious connection between the immaterial 

 mind and the material mechanism in which it is 

 temporarily embodied. It is certainly a beautiful 

 as well as philosophical idea, to imagine the mind, 

 or spirit, enthroned in " a pure ether," as if too 

 refined for immediate contact with the gross mat- 

 ter of the brain. 



This " pure ether, or luciform vehicle," is now 

 artificially employed in electric telegraphs for 



