BUFFON FULLER QUOTATIONS. 135 



they draw the ductile matter from the substance of the 

 brain itself, to which the arteries are continually bring- 

 ing the lymph that is necessary to supply it. The brain, 

 then, instead of being the seat of the sensations, and the 

 originator of perception, is an organ of secretion and 

 nutrition only, though a very essential organ, without 

 which the nerves could neither grow nor be main- 

 tained. 



" This organ is greater in man, in quadrupeds, and 

 in birds, because the number or bulk of the nerves is 

 greater in these animals than in fishes or insects, whose 

 power of perception is more feeble, for this very reason, 

 that they have but a small brain ; one, in fact, that is 

 proportioned to the small quantity of nerves which that 

 brain must support. Nor can I omit to state here that 

 man has not, as has been pretended by s^rne, a larger 

 brain than has any other animal; for there are apes 

 and cetacea which have more brain than man in propor- 

 tion to the volume of their bodies another fact which 

 proves that the brain is neither the seat of sensations 

 nor the originator of perception, since in that case these 

 animals would have more sensations and perception 

 than man. 



" If we consider the manner in which plants derive 

 their nourishment, we shall find that they do not draw 

 up the grosser parts either of earth or water; these 

 parts must be reduced by warmth into subtle vapours 

 before the roots can suck them up into the plant. In 

 like manner the nutrition of the nerves is only effected 

 by means of the more subtle parts of the humidity of 

 the brain, which are sucked up by the roots or extremi- 



