OUR PHYSICAL MOTIONS. 71 



CHAPTEE V. 



Animal motion Spontaneous, involuntary and diseased motions 

 Capable of being artificially produced Defects in Mesmerism 

 Want of uniformity in its results Electro-biology and Phrenology 

 The brain Propensities Cerebral development no proof of 

 propensity Alleged propensity not consistently shown in expe- 

 rience Propensity not material but metaphysical, and cannot be 

 indicated by size and quantity of matter Exercise causes de- 

 velopment Small mental power capable of great achievements 

 Accountability of human life Right and icrong divide the uni- 

 verse Danger of error Tendencies of the age Opinion Differ- 

 ence between Opinion and Conviction Not necessary to form 

 opinion as a basis of action Opinion not truth An impediment 

 to correct action An illustration of this Case of an African 

 traveller Confusion as to opinion Our means of protection 

 against error. 



HAVING so far considered in the preceding chapter the 

 laws and forces engaged in the production of animal 

 motion, and which appear to result in showing that 

 physical action in animals is accomplished by what may 

 be called strictly electro-mechanical appliances, let us 

 now devote some attention to those animal motions in 

 connection with the Will and the Consciousness, and also 

 to a few of the phenomena of spontaneous, involuntary, 

 diseased and artificially-produced motions. 



It appears then, from many well-established experiences, 

 that the Consciousness may be to a large extent separated 

 from physical motions which ordinarily never take place 

 save under its immediate direction and control, and also 

 that a large number of diseased motions are possible over 



