40 ALFRED T. SCHOPIELD, ESQ., M.D., M.E.C.S.E., ON 



bidding of the drill sergeant, until it became a matter of habit to 

 put the left foot before the right in starting to walk. 



No doubt many present have experienced, that in reading aloud 

 the mind, has wandered off to some subject ui-gently important, 

 and we have gone on reading and. not known what we were reading. 

 That is certainly an unconscious habit. We were not conscious of 

 that operation of the mind. I have always held (though I have 

 not studied mental philosophy) that we cannot think of two things 

 absolutely at the same time. Therefore, the mind is certainly 

 acting mechanically in reading aloud, if we are at the same 

 moment thinking of some other subject. 



Rev. Dr. Porte. — It appears to me that both the lecturer and 

 Professor Orchard are right — -one philosophically and the other 

 practically. We all have experience, in daily life, of what the 

 lecturer said on unconscious acts of mind, so to speak, though 

 that may not be the philosophical expression. I had an 

 experience of it a few Sundays ago. On reading the service, 

 which I trust I do not read carelessly without entering into it, 

 I was startled to think that I had omitted two pages of the 

 service, and when I went into the vestry I said to ray curate, " Is 

 it true that I omitted two pages of the service to-day?" He 

 said, "No; not a word." I replied, ''All I can say is that from 

 such a collect to such a collect was a perfect blank to me." He 

 said ifc was quite right. That is not the only time that such a 

 thing has happened to me. Have not some of you. repeated with 

 your lips a collect or prayer, and yet have been unconscious that 

 you have done so ? That is a simple and practical proof I think 

 of what Dr. Schofield referred to a few minutes ago. 



The Chairman. — I am afraid time is against the discussion 

 being extended, so 1 will ask Dr. Schofield to reply briefly, and 

 before doing so I am sure we desire to return a hearty vote of 

 thanks to him for his address. 



The vote of thanks was then put to the Meeting and carried. 



Dr. ScHOB'iELD. — My remarks at this stage will not only be brief 

 on account of time, but because there is little to reply to expect 

 from my very good friend, Professor Orchard. I have gone over 

 the ground with him carefully on previous occasions, and such a 

 discussion if resumed this evening would be purely academic. I 

 must admit that he has made a very good point ; but I think, 

 throwing myself on the audience, my meaning was sufficiently 



