SOME RELATIONS OF MIND AND BODY. 155' 



the words, and even to select difierent words to begin each 

 sentence and to avoid terminating them Avith prepositions, 

 Avhile all the time the conscious mind of tlie writer is 

 deeply occnpied Avith the plot. The marvels of playing a 

 brilliant piece on the piano Avliile at the same time condncting 

 a vigorous flirtation show also the greatness of our unconscious 

 powers, especially Avhen Ave remember that Sir James Paget 

 has pointed out that in rapid playing the finger moves 

 tAventy-four times a second, each movement iuA^olving at 

 least three muscular acts Avhicli if multiplied by ten gives 

 720 muscular impulses per second for both hands. 



It is likel}i' that Avhen habits, or artificial reflexes, are 

 established in the brain, that the current of sensation and 

 ensuing motion ncA^er goes up to the cortex at all for orders 

 from the conscious mind, the action being sliort-circuited in 

 the middle brain, and it is not only actions that are " short- 

 circuited" by habits. Sights and sounds frequently repeated 

 are arrested in our unconscious brain, and not allowed to 

 rise to the level of consciousness. If we live near a boiler 

 factory, we soon cease to hear it ; or if, as in a friend's case, 

 Ave live near a large dairy, Avhere milk cans are washed at 

 night, it soon fails to Avake us. There appears to be in the 

 sulj-couscious mind some power of choice as to Avhether an 

 impulse shall be short-circuited or sent on up to the cortex. 

 By experiment, I find that if a man moves about the room in 

 the morning Avhen his Avife is fast asleep, and makes loud 

 noises of various kinds, they do not Avake her ; though it can- 

 not be exactly from habit, for probably the exact noise hae 

 not been heard before, but rather from an unconscious know- 

 ledge of who makes it. On the other hand the faintest noise 

 in opening the door — often heard before — Avakes her up, 

 because it suggests someone else entering. The lower mind 

 seems to think it is the only sound-message requiring the 

 attention of the cortex, and so sends it up. It is almost like 

 the action of a priA^ate secretary opening all letters and placing 

 a fcAV before his chief, answering the rest himself The 

 Tmconscious mind we must remember is not only the active 

 agent in all habits, but in all voluntary conscious actions as 

 well. It is often forgotten that Ave cannot xoill the con- 

 tractions of any muscles ; we can only loill the moving of 

 leg or arm, and are quite unconscious of the process by 

 Avhich the act is carried out. 



But the sub-conscious mind can do greater Avonders than 

 these. It not only carries on all the A\"ork of the body from 



