jggo.] The Soul : What is it ? 3 01 
have occurred in cases where the bite of a rattlesnake has 
not proved mortal. . 
Taking a general view of all these phenomena, in so far 
as they are actually established, it would seem that animals, 
including man, must throw off from their surfaces some 
emanation capable of acting upon other animals and men 
with whom they come in contadt or in near proximity. This 
supposed emanation may vary in its character in one and 
the same individual, according to its psychical condition. 
If the vapours or gases thus emitted by two animated beings 
are in harmony, the result is sympathy or attraction. If 
they disagree, the consequence is antipathy, showing itself 
as hatred in the strong and as fear in the weak. This, it 
will be doubtless admitted, is a possible explanation of some 
of the phenomena above noticed ; but is it the true or the 
only one? Do such emanations really exist? It is, we 
think, certain that many animals become aware of the pre- 
sence either of their prey, of an enemy, or of a friend, by 
the sense of smell, even at very considerable distances. Our 
lamented friend Thomas Belt was led to the conclusion that 
ants are able to communicate with each other by means of 
this sense, and have in fadt a smell-language. . Unfortu- 
nately the sense of smell is so weak in man that it becomes 
very difficult for us to decide. 
Prof. lager holds that certain decompositions take place 
in the animal system in strict accord with psychic changes. 
All observers, he tells us, agree that muscular exertion 
effects but a very trifling increase of the nitrogenous com- 
pounds present in the urine. On the other hand, Dr. 
Boecker and Dr. Benecke* have proved that intense plea- 
surable excitement effects a very notable increase of the 
nitrogenous produdts in the urine, derived, as a matter ol 
course, from the decomposition of the album mioid matter 
in the system. Prout and Haughton have made a similar 
observation concerning the effects of alarm and anxiety. 
Hence, therefore, it would appear that strong emotion in- 
volves an extensive decomposition of nitrogenous matter, 
and in particular of its least stable portion, the albuminous 
compounds. But does the whole of the matter thus split 
up reappear in the urine ? Prof. Jager thinks that a portion 
escapes in a volatile state, forming the odorous emanations 
above mentioned. This portion he considers is the soul, 
which exists in a state of combination in the molecule 01 
the albumen, and is liberated under the influence of psychic 
* Pathologie des Stoffwechsels. 
