iiral law. The })liysical system can l)e I'aised oii a liii^li 

 2)ede8tal of woiidei't'iil conijilicity and p()^vel^ and at the 

 same time mental modes need not necessarily he con- 

 sidered as a resultant of its activity, in oi'der tu uni'avel 

 all -ts mysteries. There is a power or suljstance con- 

 tinually acting u[)on matte]', ironi its lowest to its high- 

 est forms, which is the cunning workman that Ijuilds up 

 the ultimate elements of organic matter, whose jn'esence 

 in the human body is evident l)y phenomena the most 

 complicated and marvelous in the animal kingdom. 

 This is called electricity in its simplest form. I will 

 call it vitaliwi in the second series of its operations, 

 and jh^f/clt ism m its highest manifestation in the more 

 - - y. com])licated groups of the animal creatic^n, including 

 lih'li(i(^ man. These ■ three substances are possildy develoj^- 

 jft.l^^yy'' ments of one active fluid — the latter including those in 

 ' ■« the lower forms, just as the brain of man is built up by 

 this force in a more elaborate way than is done in the 

 simple ganglia of the lower creations. The cunning of 

 this workman is known by his handiwork. I will en- 

 deavor to show that the molecule, about whose ci'eation 

 so many scientific battles are Ijeing fought, does not 

 create mental modes, but is only the medium of their 

 manifestations, and that a common ground of agreement 

 can be found in calling the psychic force — the ego — 

 the highest development of that entity called magnetism. 

 It is a substance more subtle than the ether which 

 pervades all nature, and we have no reason to believe 

 that grosser matter could possess sensible properties 

 \vithout its cohesive power. 



With the permission of the Association I will con- 

 dense a few general remarks on electricity, before 

 considering its relation to the nervous system of man. 

 The latter connection is very important to every student 

 of insanity. It will be my endeavor to rigidly apply 



