244 A. r. SCHOFIEI.D, ESQ., M.J)., EJC*., ON 



It appears that apart Ironi tlie cortex, tlie nerve patlis in 

 the lower parts of the brain consist of seusori-motor arcs, tlie 

 nerve currents arriving at tlie hinder part of the brain by the 

 posterior part of the cord, and leaving- the anterior gangh'a. 

 notably the corpora striata, and descending down the front of 

 the spinal cord, in the resulting motor impulse. To use now 

 tlie words of Dr. Hill:* ''On these arcs, which collectively 

 make up the lower system, are superadded arcs the loops of 

 which lie in the higher grey matter (of the cortex). At the 

 same time, therefore, that an impulse flows across the spinal 

 cord as a simple reflex action, a certain part of this impulse 

 is also diverted to the brain ahmg fibres which ascend in the 

 outer part of the spinal cord ; and from the brain descending 

 iibres carry the impulse back again to the lower arc. One 

 thing is quite certain, namely, that the routes which are the 

 most frequently used are the most open, and therefore the 

 most easily traversed," 



All this means, speaking generally, that a nerve current 



arriving at the brain may take one of three courses — either 



being directly reflected as action by the lower brain, or 



travelling in a short arc by the mid-brain in unconscious 



action, or in a long arc by the cortex in conscious action. In 



connection with this it may be observed that the cranial 



nerves have all two deep origins, the one in the basal 



ir'ans-lia of the mid or unconscious brain, and the other in the 



■ 1 • 

 cortex or upper conscious brain. 



It only now remains for us very briefly to toucli on the 

 action and qualities of mind before reaching in conclusion 

 the question Avith which we started : Is mind limited by 

 consciousness? First of all then with regard to tlie old 

 classical question as to whether the '• mind," which we have 

 seen is so inseparably associated Avith nerve cell action, is the 

 player or the tune of the harp, the rower or the motion of the 

 boat, — the harp and boat being l)otli the nerve cells in 

 question. 



Professor E. .Montgomery of Californiat concludes '* We 

 are unhesitatingly certain that our movements are not 

 directed and controlled by the peripheral stimulation of 

 sensory elements. In sluiping our actions avi' are not 

 slavishly executing the immediate prom])tings of our actual 



* Paper on " Reriex Action," hy A. Hill, Cuital)., Victoria Institute 

 Proceedings, 1 89.3. 



t E. Montgomery in Mind, vol. v, ]). 2:5. 



