50 THE HUMAN BRAIN. 



fluid; in a word, that a nervous fluid is itself the first organ in the 

 body, and the physical handle of the spirit. 



III. To come to experience, what are we to think of the pulpy, 

 semi-liquid texture of the brain itself, and of the immense propor- 

 tion in which fluid enters into its composition ? That there is a 

 cerebral fluid is past doubt, for the brain consists of almost nothing 

 else. And if three-fourths of the mind's organ are fluid, certainly 

 that portion is subject to mental arrangement, like the rest. When 

 the mind is gone, the arrangement is gone, and hence the dead brain 

 gives no response respecting the nature of the fluid. Nor indeed 

 would the sight of the living brain reveal the mystery, unless the 

 observer had some thoughts commensurate with the organization 

 which prevails in these provinces of the soul. A fibre of truth, 

 tubular from heaven downwards, and a fluid mind travelling in it — 

 in short open faculties — would be the only conditions of discernment, 

 even if the skull were a window through which the brain could be 

 seen. But at least we can conclude, that the so-called serum of the 

 dissecting-room is only the corpse of the cerebral spirit. It is true 

 the dead body retains its shape when life has gone, and is therefore 

 instructive still, but the animal fluids undergo alterations even in 

 form, when they fall out of their native shapes, the vessels, as wit- 

 nessed in the coagulation of the blood. And for this reason these 

 liquid corpses teach absolutely nothing of the properties of the living 

 fluids. 



To illustrate these remarks, we will put an analogous case of a 

 larger order. Suppose that London were visible from one of the 

 stars, and were known to be a city of the living, but its inhabitants 

 were not within the power of vision. And suppose further that the 

 stellar people were of those who believe nothing but what they can 

 sec. It is clear that the outworks and great channels of London 

 life falling under their ken, would be mistaken for the living things. 

 And as life always brings motion to mind, the vibrations and shak- 

 ings of the houses and walls of our metropolis, would be postulated 

 as the life which was alleged. But suppose further, that on some 

 coronation day vast crowds of the inhabitants assembled, and formed 

 a dark mass before the eyes of the gazing star ; this would of course 

 be taken to be of the same substance and rank with the houses, and 



