LECTURE VI. 257 



incompetent to transform the animal mat- 

 ter into urea, and thus prove a cause of 

 foul and deficient urine. How curiously 

 and universally are the nervous functions 

 sometimes disturbed by trivial causes ? 

 Even harsh and discordant sounds, affect- 

 ing the brain, may disturb the functions 

 of the kidney ; so that there may be some 

 who, " when the bagpipe sings in the nose, 

 cannot contain their urine." 



Those of the medical profession must 

 readily accord with the additional remark 

 of Shakspeare, that such affections, wliich 

 may well, indeed, be called " masters of 

 passion, sway us to their mood in what we 

 like or loathe." For we well know, that 

 our patients and ourselves, from distur- 

 bance of the nervous functions of the di- 

 gestive organs, producing such affections 

 of the brain, may become irritable, petu- 

 lant, and violent about trifles, or oppress- 

 ed, morose, and desponding. Permit me, 

 however, to add, that those of the medical 

 profession must be equally apprized, that 

 when the functions of the mind are not 



s- 



