A. T. SCHOFIELD, KSQ., M.D., Y.TC., ON THE SCOPE Oi' MIND. 235 



Investigations and inferences are more boldlj pushed and 

 more rapidly made abroad, and perhaps not inifrequentlj 

 supplemented by that inner consciousness whose dicta are 

 incapable of verification or proof. We have, however, in 

 England notable exceptions to tlie rule of " folio w-my- 

 leader " whom we shall often quote, but whom at present it 

 is needless to name. 



Historically, distinguished men have from time to time 

 striven to enlarge our concept, but with indifferent success 

 from the want of support from the physiological side, which 

 only of late years has made much advance, ami on which all 

 future psychology must be increasingly based. A decided 

 impetus from an irregular but prolific source has undoubtedly 

 been recently given in the phenomena laid bare by hypnotism, 

 and it is somewhat significant that all modern psychologists 

 feel constrained seriously to discuss and examine these 

 phenc^mena. 



At the same time deliberate efforts have not been wanting 

 to check and ridicule all concepts of mind that exceeded 

 the old time-honoured definitions, lest the new wine should 

 burst the old bottles : while many physiologists so far from 

 extending our hoi'izon, have definitely limited all idea of 

 mind to a functicm of matter. Thus, while there is generally 

 a consent to extend our ideas, in most quarters they are 

 limited in others either by fiat denial of a non possiunus kind, 

 or by a ijhysioiogical materialism ; both, though the off- 

 spring of different schools, being probably expressions of 

 the smallness of our thuughts compared Avith the largeness 

 of our subject 



One Avord of explanation perhaps is needed as to why the 

 present Avriter deals with subjects so abstract and abstruse. 

 It is because, being a physician in constant contact with 

 nerve and mental phenomena, and witnessing continually 

 the powers of that wliich he desires to recognise as mind, 

 both in the pi-oduction of disease, and in a power of 

 relieving and curing it, that the writer has been forf;ed to 

 study these matters. It would in his opinion be well if 

 all physicians and surgeons investigated ihese powers more, 

 Avhich, when Icnown, give a key to man}' unexplained and 

 perplexing lapses from, and restorations to, health. 



Without further preface, therefore, we Avill proceed to 

 consider the relations of mind and matter. Such questions 

 bristle with difficulties, and like unpractised navigatois 

 when exploring the stream of knoAvdedge, Ave must take 



