LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 37 



heart, obedient to the impulse, propels the blood 

 in a stream of triple force along the arteries, until 

 every organ of the body is in a state of the highest 

 excitement, swollen and distended with the living 

 current. Thus, for a time, the weak become actually 

 strong; and hence these instances of courage in the 

 weak. The same thing occurs in anger. A man 

 under the influence of rage not only appears to 

 possess, but really does possess, triple the physical 

 power which he can command when calm. 



Not only, therefore, is the body constructed in 

 the ultimate tissue, but the character is constructed 

 there also. And as the health and strength of the 

 body depend upon the healthy performance of the 

 processes of assimilation in the ultimate tissue of 

 the body, so also do the health and strength of the 

 character and mind. 



" Who 'd pique himself on inteDect, whose use 



Depends so much upon the gastric juice ?" 

 says Byron. 



The moral qualities are therefore, at least to a 

 great extent, the offspring of physical structure. I 

 know that moral causes may, and often do, produce 

 physical disease: but this does not weaken the 

 argument; for a child may destroy its parent; and 



