INVOLUNTARY MUSCLES. 485 



his face at once to become bloodless. 1 * Blumenbach says he has 

 seen "some persons able, at any time, to produce a spasmodic 

 horripilation of the skin, by representing some unpleasant object, 

 to their imagination. Others have had the power of exciting local 

 sweat in the hands, &c." s Strong feelings and a strong power of 

 attention may render many involuntary parts thus indirectly 

 voluntary. 1 Whether strong attention explains the power which 

 some possess over the iris, I do not know." The distribution of 

 its nerves is sometimes unusual, and this may render it directly 

 voluntary. Blumenbach says he once found " the action of the 

 stomach distinctly voluntary in a ruminating man." Unusual dis- 

 tribution of nerves may occur any where just as of arteries: and, 

 if a nerve of voluntary motion should run to a muscle intended 

 to be involuntary, this would become voluntary. x 



r Penny Cyclopedia. 



" See, for instance, T. Bartholin, Act. Hafniens. 1676. vol. iv. p. 191." 



1 " See the Rapport des Commissaires charges par le Roi de VExamen du 

 Magnetisms Animal, written by J. Sylv. Bailly, a man worthy of a better 

 fate. Paris, 1784. 4to. p. 16." 



u Belingeri informs us that Mascagni found the iris voluntary in Fontana. 

 Disserlatio .'nauguralis, P. ii. xxi. 



* Dr. Cheyne, in his Treatise on Nervous Diseases, p. 307. sq., relates the 

 following case, which is often adduced as an instance of voluntary power over 

 the heart. If it was, this power had not always existed, nor could it be exerted 

 at once as over voluntary muscles : and probably the mental influence was 

 indirect. 



" Colonel Townshend, a gentleman of excellent natural parts, and of great 

 honour and integrity, had for many years been afflicted with a nephritic com- 

 plaint, attended with constant vomitings, which had made his life painful and 

 miserable. During tfie whole time of his illness he had observed the strictest 

 regimen, living on the softest vegetables and lightest animal foods, drinking 

 asses' milk daily, even in the camp; and for common drink Bristol water, 

 which, the summer before his death, he had drunk on the spot. But his illness 

 increasing and his strength decaying, he came from Bristol to Bath in a litter, 

 in autumn, and lay at the Bell Inn. Dr. Baynard and I were called to him, 

 and attended him twice a day for about the space of a week, but his vomitings 

 continuing still incessant and obstinate against all remedies, we despaired of his 

 recovery. While he was in this condition, he sent for us early one morning; 

 we waited on him with Mr. Skrine his apothecary ; we found his senses clear 

 and his mind calm ; his nurse and several servants were about him. He had 

 made his will and settled his affairs. He told us he had sent for us to give him 

 some account of an odd sensation he had for some time observed and felt in 

 himself, which was, that composing himself, he could die or expire when he 

 pleased, and yet by an effort, or somehow, he could come to life again ; which it 



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