THE SPLEEN. 195 



spleen. It is like a ship-breaker's yard, or, rather, 

 more closely resembles a railway depot. The old and 

 useless rolling-stock of the blood is got rid of within 

 its environs, while new rolling-stock is built and pre- 

 pared for the varied uses of the system. 



After all, the story of the spleen, as told us by 

 modern science, is not a whit less wonderful than 

 were the fancies indulged in regarding its duties by the 

 classic writers. It is surely not less wonderful to think 

 of the mystic work of the spleen in thus assimilating, 

 building, and constructing the new blood-elements, 

 and, in turn, of dissolving and breaking up the old 

 ones, than to think of it, as it was regarded in ancient 

 days, as playing a part in the constitution of the mind 

 and its moods. The old legends have passed away, 

 and have, like the worn-out corpuscles, died a natural 

 death. The spleen is a figure of modern science itself, 

 which reconstructs and remodels that which is old, and 

 presents us with new ideas which are none the less 

 fascinating because they are true. 



