THE SENSES AND THEIE POWERS. 21 



which the sensations by which it is affected proceed, but 

 only comes in contact as a sense with special atoms or 

 particles of what that object emits. This may be said to 

 be partly contact, and partly not. The olfactory organi- 

 zation is also capable of perceiving extreme variations of 

 temperature as a sensation, though it is not very sensitive 

 to the impressions of common temperatures. Extreme 

 heat will consciously affect it, as well as extreme cold ; 

 the latter causing the convulsive action of sneezing in it. 

 It will be thus perceived that the two senses of Feeling 

 and Taste have actual contact and the perception of tempe- 

 rature, and the sense of Smell partial contact and partial 

 perception of temperature, in addition to their respective 

 and distinctive perceptions of feeling, taste, and smell, 

 to protect them from deception, more than the Eye and 

 the Ear, which only see and hear, have. 



Let us now consider the great primary perceptive 

 faculty of Consciousness as it operates through these various 

 Senses as they are called, or, more properly, channels of 

 its action. If the senses be organically perfect in their 

 structure they must operate with perfect accuracy from 

 the first dawn of our experience. Bishop Berkeley, who 

 has been highly complimented by Professor Dugald 

 Stewart on the merits of his work upon the Eye, speaks of 

 the eye being educated by experience. However un- 

 pleasant it may be to damage a literary compliment, truth 

 requires it to be said here that Berkeley is altogether wrong 

 when he so speaks of the eye. That organ is a mere 

 reflecting telescope mounted by nature for us, and is as 

 perfect at the beginning of our existence as it is to the 

 last. The image portrayed on its retina or speculum 

 must, if the optical structure of the eye be organically 

 perfect in childhood, be as accurate in receiving and 

 detailing the first object it is impressed by as any subse- 

 quent object or image. It is not the accuracy of this 



