54 LECTURE II. . 



cumstances relating to the anatomy of 

 the nervous system, I shall not dwell on 

 this part of the subject, but hasten to the 

 principal object of the lecture, to consider 

 its Physiology, in order to examine how 

 far Mr. Hunter's Theory of Life, seems 

 adequate to explain the phenomena of the 

 nervous functions. 



First, then, it is generally believed that 

 Ull sensation is in the brain, and that all 

 volition proceeds from that organ. This 

 proposition requiring to be impressed so as 

 to produce conviction, for it is the found- 

 ation on which all our future reasoning is 

 founded, I shall state the principal causes 

 of this opinion. First, If the continuity 

 of a nerve be intercepted at any point be- 

 tween that extremity which receives im- 

 pressions from the objects of sense, and 

 which therefore may be called the impres- 

 sible or tangible extremity, and that which 

 communicates with the brain, and is usually 

 called its sensorial extremity, both feeling 

 and volition by means of that nerve are 

 suspended. . . .. . 



