PART VI. 



MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 



THE BRAIN. 



Preparatory to treating of the Sensorial Functions, we 

 gave a summary account of the nervous system, as it 

 exists in various animals, with a figure of the ganglion ; 

 reserving more particular descriptions of the brain and 

 its functions as they are found, in the human species, for 

 the purpose of connecting them with observations on 

 Physical and Mental Exercise. 



Size of the Brain. Aristotle and Pliny both assert 

 that the brain of man is, not only comparatively, but 

 absolutely larger than that of any other animal. At the 

 present time, only two exceptions to this assertion are 

 known. The brain of the Whale, and that of the Ele- 

 phant are larger in bulk than that of the human species. 

 Comparatively, however, the human brain is much lar- 

 ger than that of any other known animal. By analogy, 

 therefore, we might infer that in man, the largest de- 

 velopment of this organ, would, other circumstances 

 being equal, insure the most capacious intellect, and 

 perhaps this may be considered as generally true. Says 

 Magendie, " the volume of the brain, is generally in 



What is said of the absolute size of the human brain 1 What is said 

 of the comparative size of this organ in man ? 



