114 
REPORT—1854. 
Miscbllanous. 
On Literary and Philosophical Pursuits as conducive to Longevity. 
By Dr. Fowler, M.D., F.R.S. 
While young and amusing myself with translating and re-translating some 
passages in Cicero, my attention was much arrested by the following, in his essay 
Be Senectute," Mane tit ingenia senibus, modo permaneant studia et industria." My 
past experience has satisfied me as to the certainty of the fact. But it has not been 
till lately that I have been able to find a physiological explanation of it. 
All the functions of the mind are affected by corresponding functions of the body, 
and it is by the circulation in the minute arteries of our organs of brain, senses, kt., 
that they are kept in a sensitive and active state. After the nerves of a frog s l*'*t 
had been divided some weeks, its muscles contracted feebly when zinc and silver 
were in contact with the crural nerve and each other; but when I brushed the akin 
ao as to produce a slight redness, both sensibility and contractility were restored- 
Now, the effect of thinking has an effect on the blood-vessels analogous to brushing, 
in 80 far as it accelerates the circulation of the blood through them. Any one 
has attended blood-letting must have observed that the stream is accelerated by un> 
exciting thoughts, and blushing in attributable to a like acceleration. So, too, is * c 
inllamed appearance of the features expressive of anger. But our conceptions, a *''■ 
are vivid in proportion to the accelerated flow of blood through the brain, med“ j 
oblongata, and organs of sense. Now, there is not only an accelerated flow ol '' 
in the brain while we are thinking, inducing more vivid conception?, but there “ 
retransmission from such conceptions to the functional parts appropriated t" aC 1 
accordance with such conception. The sufficient ratio for this process seem- " " 
t° keep all sound part* of our organs in a state of functional efficiency, “00*° ^. 
such as are unsound. Of this the restoration of Cretins to flense and bealtli. o. 
rational treatment of body and mind, supplies a satisfactory example. 
lo ensure such uninterrupted recurrence of hopeful conception* ns may rctrtnan 
a continued supply of pure blood to all the structures of the body employ* 1 
thinking, pure air, water, and exercise are essential. I cannot but attribute ui, 
Continuance of my own faculties mainly to frenurnt washing the whole Mir 
my head, neck, and face with cold water, yellow soap, and a large nail bru. • • 
this aU the sentient extremities of the fifth pair of nerves arc kept free from pj* 
oy the imbibition of water, revivified by the arteries accompanying them, a ^ 
a direct and free communication is kept up bet ween the brain and all the orp . 
sense, so that our observations mav be made with accuracy, and result In c ' 
Abiding conceptions. These will constitute the materials of some worthy P 
and furnish occupations to the mind, and be a resource to withdraw v» from * 
daily cares which so often and needlessly perplex us; for the mindrmuwrt » 
time be occupied by two objects of sense/or two conceptions, the abiding resum 
past Impressions. ^ 
,,£r° a r |JCar9 , t0 havc hod this in his thoughts, and, like Bvitm, ^ 
1 words are tlnngB, M since they excite conception,—the chief thing p u i 
a 1 artists, orators, and both scientific and literary men are most convers • , 
. - - .. r ..v.,vt, wiiue leading the odes or eicgy u» ‘ .inal 
f&» ° f S ^ ak; Paare. How could a Garrick or a Siddons have given oM ,rc . d ,„!l 
the characters thev represented but from conceptions excited by wool* • * jor . 
assm that they derive more real pleasure from i th <^ 
b .y tbe words of Shakspearc read in solitude than when they jert > m 
> v C n,a ‘ cbIws art £f a Siddons or a Garrick. But this 
Jjjjl l?" 5 *f ect of a quicker circulation, the revivifying of be, ■» 
cular excitability, the sources of health. Why r If the purpose or this J ^ 
reason seems to indicate, a school in which such habits of intelligence areforro j£ „ 
prepare the mind for some more advanced state of existence, on this hypotb* b# „ 
explicaole why such urgent curiosity to know, and to know by doing, sh° ul 
