Chap. XIIL] LOWER ANIMALS. 199 



The highest ganglion of an animal, or that in which 

 the most varied impressions are brought into relation with 

 one another, is the part in connection with which the 

 phenomena of Consciousness will be likely first to become 

 nascent — as in higher animals it will be the part with the 

 action of w^hich the most vivid Conscious states are likely 

 to be associated. On this subject, Herbert Spencer 

 says :* — " There cannot be co-ordination of many stimuli 

 without some ganglion through which they are all brought 

 into relation, this ganglion must be subject to the influence 

 of each — must undergo many changes. And the quick 

 succession of changes in a ganglion, implying as it does 

 perpetual experiences of differences and likenesses, consti- 

 tutes the raw material of Consciousness." 



The above-mentioned difficulty in ascertaining when 

 Consciousness begins to manifest itself, of course implies 

 a belief that Conscious States do not necessarily, as 

 some have suggested, accompany all nerve actions. This, 

 indeed, is a truth revealed to us every day, since multi- 

 tudes of nerve actions occur in ourselves and in our fellow- 

 men without any appreciable subjective accompaniment — 

 and it would be absurd to say we are ' conscious ' of what 

 we do not appreciate. There is, as previously indicated, 

 an habitual absence of sensation or feeling of any kind 

 in conjunction with many reflex and other nerve actions. 



This inference as to the absence of a subjective side 

 with many nerve actions, is allowed by nearly all physi- 

 ologists to be strengthened by the occurrence of * reflex 

 movements,' following unfelt impressions, in persons wdth 

 disease of the spinal cord — i.e., when this is of such a 

 kind as to prevent the passage of nerve currents to or 

 from the brain. A similar conclusion has also been arrived 

 at by many from a study of the results of experiments with 

 * " Principles of Psjcliology," vol. i. p. 435. 



