ON THE NEUROGLIA 295 



warranted, and called upon, to take that notice, and 

 make that reference. 



The neuroglial matrix, wherever existent, being the 

 medium of supply for the nutritive wants of the neuronal 

 commonwealth, in both its individual, and collective, 

 aspects, becomes, an anatomical structure of the most 

 supreme moment, in the great functional activities of 

 development, growth, and everyday nutrition, not only 

 of the nervous system proper, but of the whole non- 

 nervous tissues to which the systemic nervous system is 

 distributed, it, therefore, becomes apparent that any con- 

 genital, or acquired, mal-development of it, must lead 

 to a departure from the normal physiological condition, 

 of both the nervous, and non-nervous, structures, and, 

 hence, to a departure from the normal functional per- 

 formance of the involved part, or parts. Holding such 

 views, we infer, that some such circumstances are at 

 work, in the evolution of such a phenomenon, as a 

 congenital lusus natur^e^ mental, or even physical, and 

 the production of many post-natal freaks, as well as 

 the causation of the many mental, and moral, insanities 

 which are liable to attack the race. 



Here we cannot help thinking strongly, that an imper- 

 fectly developed, or unstable, neuroglial matrix, must, of 

 necessity, constitute the point of origin of these various 

 phenomena, and that some error in the manner, or matter, 

 or both, of its blood supply, and derived blood plasma, 

 must constitute the first link in the chain, of the morbid 

 evolution in question. 



What a vista of possibilities, for weal, or for woe, is 

 thus revealed, or brought within our range of vision, when 

 we recognise, that the data for the full development of this 

 speculation, reach back, it may be, for generations, into 

 the past, concentrate in the immediate parentage, paternal, 

 and maternal, and are ultimately wrought out, and 

 developed, in the present, and future, under the manifold 

 influences of a complicated environment, in the persons of 

 the affected individuals ! heredity, and immediately oper- 

 ative moulding influences, being, conjointly, responsible for 

 the accomplishment of any given result, or results, which 

 may come under our observation, and critical notice. 



