11 



of Nerves. But we had already come to the conclusion 

 that they also want that organ, without which we can- 

 not conceive sensation : and if it shall have been rendered 

 not improbable that they also want the rail roads of com- 

 munication with such an organ, we not only can no 

 longer argue that insects feel, from anything known to us 

 in their structure, but from that very structure we seem 

 to be led to exactly the contrary conclusion. 



Since the argument for sensation in insects cannot then 

 be supported in this way, those who maintain it must shift 

 their ground, which perhaps they may be less reluctant to 

 do, in the possession, as they may conceive, of a much 

 stronger position in the conduct of the living insect, when 

 accidentally or purposely injured. Writhing in a worm, 

 or agitation in the limbs of an insect submitted to experi- 

 ment, have been long held to be certainly expressive of 

 painful sensation. We shall presently see how equivocal 

 such signs are, however generally admitted. Nothing in 

 fact can be less conclusive than the inference of pain felt 

 from motion induced ; and if I were engaged as counsel on 

 the popular side, I would throw up that clause of my brief 

 altogether, and rather take my stand in maintaining the 

 sensibility of insects, on some speculations of Bichat, (ex- 

 ceedingly ingenious ones,) which I shall presently lay be- 

 fore the reader. 



Abnormal motion motion under any epithet, is evi- 

 dently not so general a result of pained sensibility in man 

 himself, as to furnish the argument from analogy, which 

 goes for so much in all our conclusions. Strictly considered, 

 motion is purely an affection of the organism, while for 

 sensation, mind, as well as organism, is requisite. All the 

 unconscious movements are but organic ; and the mere 

 organism (which involves matter only,) cannot be essen- 

 tially in possession of, though it may be united to sensa- 

 tion, which necessarily involves the intelligent or imma- 

 terial part of our nature. Motion under pain, ancl sensi- 



