THE MOTION OF THE BRAIN. • 63 



strong presumption already arises, that the animations of the brain, 

 according to the statement of Swedenborg, are coincident with the 

 respirations of the lungs. Moreover we have already seen, that 

 when the lungs inspire, the brain has room and invitation to expand, 

 and that when they expire, it receives an admonition and pressure 

 to contract. If the brain be impressible at all, and if its motion be 

 physical, it can hardly fail to comply with these opportune times. 



But again the motion of the brain is, or may be, voluntary, and 

 the volitions as we know can play also upon the respiration. Nay 

 every muscular movement however eccentric, is based upon the fixity 

 of the respiration as a central stoma. Whence voluntary breathing 

 becomes analogous to willing, and we are said to breathe the actions 

 which we strongly intend. This points, in the next term of the 

 reasoning, to the conclusion that animation, or the common func- 

 tion of the brain, is analogous to common breathing. For the argu- 

 ment stands thus — the mind of the brain, in falling upon the lungs, 

 controls their states, and makes them voluntary ; and in descending 

 into the muscles, it always enters the lungs at the same time, rais- 

 ing up in the breath a central air or tendency, corresponding to the 

 limbed tendency in the muscles. The motion of the mind of the 

 brain, therefore, is voluntary, and the breathing can be voluntary; 

 and if the brain and the lungs coincide in their extraordinary mo- 

 tions, is it not feasible that they coincide in their ordinary motions ? 

 This is the more conclusive and exclusive, inasmuch as there is no 

 other viscus but the lungs manifesting a peculiar motion, upon which 

 thought and will play. Now these are, physically speaking, the 

 brain playing upon the lungs, or in other words, the brain moving 

 to move the lungs. 



But secondly, we affirm, that the correspondence is not merely 

 general, but precise. It will be remembered that we are not now 

 arguing the question of the motion of the brain, which we consider 

 for the present established j but the rhythm which the motion follows. 

 And we proceed to remark that there can be no doubt of its coin- 

 cidence with breathing. The cerebral motion, the movement of the 

 mind of. the brain, is represented in the movements of the lungs. 

 We all infer the manner in which a man's brains are moving, from 

 the way in which we see his lungs moving. If we see deep breath- 



