258 A. T. SCHOFIELD, ESQ., M.D., ETC., ON 



views alluded to in the interesting^ communication of Dr. Scliofield 

 on " The Scope of Mind," I hope I may be allowed to draw attention 

 to some influences which suggest themselves to the mind, from a 

 somewhat more I'estrlcted standpoint. 



The physico-chemical doctrines of life and. mind so long in 

 favour have recently given place to a very different doctrine, the 

 advocates of which seek to extend the application of the words 

 mental and psychical to all or nearly all living organisms, 

 apparently forgetting, as it seems to me, that this will necessitate 

 the admission on their part of different orders of psychical actions 

 which characterise the different classes of living forms. Surely 

 the psychical phenomena of man's brain cannot be regarded as of 

 the same kind or order as those of an amceba. To me it seems 

 preferable to include all actions peculiar to living things, to living 

 matter, in one category — vital. All mental actions are vital, but 

 to call all vital actions mental would surely be incorrect and 

 without meaning. The matter concerned in mind is actually 

 living, and like all living matter in nature, actually structureless. 

 But all structure has been formed from previously existing 

 structureless living matter. This absolute distinction between 

 matter that lives and matter that is formed — matter that has lived, 

 but is no longer endowed with vital powers — has, I venture to 

 think, been, established by observation ; and whether we examine 

 the lowest and simplest organisms, or the highest cerebral cells or 

 bioplasts of man's brain, we are led to the same general conclusion. 

 Not only so, but when we trace backwards the formation of man's 

 highest and most wonderful structures to their earliest state, to 

 the living matter or bioplasm particles from which they were 

 formed, we find similar structureless matter having no indications 

 of structure, no chemical or anatomical characters which would 

 enable us to say, "This, under certain favourable conditions, will 

 become a man," no characters by which any evidence is afforded 

 of its wonderful endowments — the existence of which endowments, 

 however, is established by observing the changes which are 

 brought about and the structures which are formed as development 

 steadily proceeds. In relation with all structures of all living 

 beings from the earliest period of cxisteiice are particles of living 

 matter or bioplasts, which are necessary to life. Those, in relation 

 with man's brain sti'uctnre, possess those vital endowments 

 without which no mental act is possible. 



