788 Dynamic Theory. 



ing reflected in the cerebral organs in like relationship, thus setting up 

 the idea. The idea becomes a principle, as pointed out in chapter 65, 

 and subsequent agitations of it, in recollection, contribute their in- 

 fluence to various forms of motor activities, and also to new cerebral 

 arrangements. Every body is familiar with the various incantations and 

 hocus-pocus performances by which school bo} T s get rid of their warts. 

 Success depends, apparently, on the direction of the attention, involv- 

 ing a new direction of the secretions. 



It has been 'mentioned that the flow of saliva may be brought on by 

 the mere thought of food, and likewise the discharge into the stomach 

 of gastric juice, has been caused by the sight of food. But the secre- 

 tion of saliva is arrested by a strong emotion, as in the case of detec- 

 tion of a thief among the household servants in India by holding rice 

 in the mouth. Tears, too; which are constantly and normally formed 

 for the lubrication of the surface of the eyes, are increased by any sort 

 of moderate emotional excitement, grief, anger, joy and tenderness. 

 But where the emotion is immoderate the secretion is checked, instead 

 of stimulated, that is, the over stimulation of the glands and ducts, 

 produces a violent contraction, probably something akin to a temporary 

 local tetanus. The gastric secretion is likewise suspended by great ex- 

 citement, and a sudden emotion takes away the appetite. 



No secretion is more subject to the influence of emotions than that of 

 the milk. According to Sir Astley Cooper, " The secretion of milk 

 proceeds best in a tranquil state oj mind, and with a cheerful temper. " 

 Then it is abundant and wholesome. But grief, anxiety, worrying, 

 suspense, fear, terror, rage, and the like, all have an unfavorable effect; 

 some of them stopping the secretion, others rendering it unwholesome 

 and injurious to the infant. It may become even poisonous under ex- 

 treme mental excitement. ' A carpenter fell into a quarrel with a sol- 

 dier billeted in his house, and was set upon by the latter with his drawn 

 sword. The wife of the carpenter at first trembled from fear and terror, 

 and then suddenly threw herself furiously between the combatants, 

 wrested the sword from the soldier's hand, broke it in pieces, and threw 

 it away. During the tumult, some neighbors came in and separated 

 the men. While in this state of strong excitement the mother took up 

 her child from the cradle, where it lay playing in the most perfect 

 health, never having had a moment's illness; she gave it the breast, and 

 in so doing, sealed its fate. In a' few minutes the infant left off suck- 

 ing, became restless, panted, and sank dead upon its mother's bosom. 

 The physician who was instantly called in, found the child lying in the 

 cradle as if asleep, and with its features undisturbed, but all his re- 

 sources were fruitless. It was irrecoverably gone. " A sad, cruel case 

 happened in the Maternity Hospital, Minneapolis, in 1887. An unmar- 



