PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS 119 



sexual inclination and so on, are energetic and lively, influence of 

 Now, these mental effects are due to changes in the ^^toT 

 metabolism which result from the conditions affecting the functions. 

 hormonopoietic glands mentioned ; and our knowledge 

 is such that we can often say exactly what metabolic 

 disturbance is responsible for the abnormal mental 

 attitude concerned ; and sometimes, too, we can 

 directly remedy it. For example, excessive ovarian 

 and thyroid secretions lead to an unusual excretion 

 of lime salts ; and it appears obvious from the investiga- 

 tions of Sidney Ringer and Dudley Buxton 1 and from 

 my own work 2 that the compounds of calcium are 

 largely responsible for vasomotor stability and the 

 control of nervous and muscular irritability. These 

 views have recently received further confirmation from 

 the experimental work of Hoskins and Wheelon 3 . 



All this is extremely interesting and important : it The Corre- 

 indicates that the mental processes can be regulated Function, 

 therapeutically, and it shows clearly how the mind is 

 dependent for its normal functions on the condition of 

 the body. We have, at the present time, no need for 

 the crude evidences of insanity, of brain lesions, or even 

 of such diseases as cretinism to prove our contention ; 

 we know that merely the excessive excretion of a mineral 

 salt will lessen the mental equanimity of the subject. 

 This is only one example of the correlation of function 

 between the mind, the soma and the reproductive 

 system, any disturbance of which is, therefore, shown in 

 triplicate. 4 



How then does all this specially concern the psycho- 

 logy of women as opposed to that of men ? 



We have seen that in men the reproductive calls on 

 the metabolism are, unless excessive sexual indulgence 



1 Ringer, Sidney, and D. W. Buxton, Journ. Physiol., 1885, vol. vi, 

 p. 154 ; 1887, vol. viii, pp. 15 and 288. 



2 Bell, W. Blair, The Principles of Gynaecology, 1910 (3rd Edit., 

 1919) ; Liverp. Med. Chirur. Journ., 1912, vol. xxxii, p. 398. 



3 Hoskins, R. G., and H. Wheelon, Amer. Journ. Physiol., 1914, 

 vol. xxv, p. 119. 



4 Bell, W. Blair, Brit. Med. Journ., 1920, vol. i, p. 787. 



