any marks upon you." To the same principle must be ascribed the old Jewish custom of rending the garments whenever, the feelings were disagreeably excited.

Achilles is represented by Homer as in danger of committing suicide in the excess of his grief for the death of Patro clus:

"Then clouds of sorrow fell on Peleus' son,
And, grasping with both hands the ashes, down..
He poured them on his head, his graceful brows
Dishonouring, and thick the sooty shower
Descending settled on his fragrant vest.
Then, stretched in ashes, at the vast extent..
Of his whole length he lay, disordering wild
With his own hands, and rending off his hair....
On the other side, Antilochus, dissolved
In tears, held fast Achilles' hands, and groaned
Continually from his heart, through fear

Lest Peleus' son should perish self-destroyed." †

1

1

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Many other instances might be adduced, to shew that Destructiveness is excited by painful sensations in general, even where no aggressor exists; but it is unnecessary to multiply examples. None will dispute that the merchant whose warehouse is consumed by lightning, the traveller who loses his purse, and the wight who, on arriving breathless and exhausted at a coachoffice, beholds the vehicle in which he is anxious to seat himself wheeling round a distant corner, are all rendered prone to destructive conduct, and hardly refrain from speaking harshly to those around them. Children, when wounded by a fall, are apt to stamp their feet on the ground with rage, to kick about the smaller articles of furniture, and to commit havoc among the brittle ware; while passionate adults, when any annoyance occurs, give vent to a copious volley of imprecations.

As formerly observed, the legitimate object against which Destructiveness ought to be exclusively indulged when roused by uneasiness or pain, is the individual by whom that uneasiness is caused. In such cases, we may sometimes injure without infringing in the slightest degree the dictates of morality and "If the benevolent affections," says the penetrating metaphysician already more than once cited," be so important as sources of happiness, the malevolent affections are not less important parts of our mental constitution, as the defence of happiness against the injustice which otherwise would every moment be invading it ;-the emotions of the individual injured being to

Levit. xix. 28.

+ Iliad, B. xviii. I have preferred Cowper's translation as more faithful, though somewhat less elegant, than that of Pope. The concluding verse in the original passage is—

Δείδιο γὰρ μὴ λαιμὸν ἀποτμήξεις σιδήρω,ν. 34.

Literally, "For he was afraid that Achilles would cut his throat."

'the injurer a certainty that his crime will not be without one interested in avenging it; and the united emotions of mankind, as concurring with this individual interest of retribution, being almost the certainty of vengeance itself. If vice can perform those ravages in the moral world which we see at present, what would have been the desolation if there had been no motives of terror to restrain the guilty arm, if frauds and oppressions, which now work in secret, could have come boldly forth into the great community of mankind, secure of approbation in every eye, or at least of no look of abhorrence, or shuddering at their very approach? It is because man is rendered capable of hatred, that crimes which escape the law and the judge, have their punishment in the terror of the guilty."* In a word, so long as the saying shall continue true-" Mali inter malos vivimus," the propensity to injure will be indispensable to our welfare; and it is interesting to remark, that, as most of the pains occasioned to us by our neighbours are the produce of exuberant Destructiveness in the inflicters,if the organ shall, in the progress of civilization, become so quiescent in the human race, that we shall cease to torment and destroy each other, this very quiescence must at the same time weaken the principle of resentment, which will thus become more and more feeble in proportion as its services are less required.

It unfortunately happens, however, that, in the existing state of human affairs, Destructiveness seldom confines its operations to the offending object exclusively. When pain is occasioned by circumstances referrible either to the sufferer alone or to some particular aggressor, parties entirely innocent are often made to feel the consequences of that displeasure, which, if directed by reason and morality, would either be wholly curbed, or fall exclusively on the party offending. The excitement of Destructiveness, however, being less furious in these instances than when it is directed against the author of pain, the disposition manifested is frequently of no higher intensity than what is familiarly known as peevishness or fretfulness-a tendency to growl, and snarl, and act with unmerited harshness towards all who are unfortunate enough to be in the way. Such a misdirection of displeasure is extremely unamiable, and obviously at variance with reason and common sense.

Before concluding this branch of the subject, it is proper to remark, that Combativeness, or Opposiveness, is roused by the same circumstances which excite the propensity to injure. These two faculties, indeed, as I observed on a former occasion,† seldom fail to act in concert; and it is impossible to doubt the general truth of Dr Brown's assertion, that " when anger arises * Brown's Lectures, vol. iii. p. 274. See also pp. 249, 546. Essay on Combativeness, p. 160 of this volume.

fear is gone there is no coward, for all are brave."* certainly in every case an increase of courage, though not always so great as to elevate it to the rank of positive bravery.

There is

I have still some additional remarks to offer on the uses and modes of activity of Destructiveness; but, as the present article is already too long, it is necessary to postpone these till next

number.

REMARKS ON THE INFLUENCE OF MENTAL CULTIVATION AND MENTAL EXCITEMENT UPON HEALTH. By AmaRIAH BRIGHAM, M. D. Boston, U. S.: Marsh, Capen, and Lyon, 1833. Second edition, 12mo, pp. 130.

DR BRIGHAM is an unpretending writer, but his little volume proves that he possesses a rare combination of accurate and extensive knowledge with calin and practical sense. He has chosen a subject the importance of which it would be difficult to overestimate, and has handled it with remarkable perspicuity, precision, and judgment. His mind is a logical one: he deals in principles; and with these the numerous details which he introduces are at all times intimately linked. His views are obviously the result of mature and anxious reflection, and are never propounded without an ample display of evidence in their support. Although he does not avow himself a phrenologist, modestly alleging that he is not yet entitled by qualification to do so, he nevertheless speaks of the subject and its advocates in such terms of friendliness, and even eulogy, so entirely prefers its mental philosophy to all others bearing the name, as explanatory of the phenomena of human nature, and avails himself of that explanatory power so largely, indeed so exclusively, throughout his volume, that we hesitate not to claim him as a real, though not an avowed phrenologist; a much better ally in its cause than an avowed phrenologist who is not a real one.

The inductive motive of the publication of the volume, as the author says in his preface," is to awaken public attention to the importance of making some modification in the method of educating children which now prevails in the United States of America. It is intended to shew the necessity of giving more attention to the health and growth of the body, and less to the cultivation of the mind, especially in carly life, than is now given; to teach that man, at every period of his existence, should be considered both as a spiritual and material being-as influLectures, iii. p. 324.

enced both by physical and moral causes and that therefore all plans for his improvement should be formed, not from a partial view of his nature, but from a knowledge of his moral, intellectual, and physical powers, and of their development." Physical education, he truly says, is too little attended to, and the connexion between health of body and health of mind too much overlooked." Philosophy," exclaimed Dupaty, on seeing the magnificent anatomical museum at Florence, "Philosophy has been in the wrong not to descend more deeply into physical man; there it is that the moral man lies concealed." The study of anatomy and physiology is, of course, strenuously recommended by the author, as that on which all plans of education ought to be founded. Dr Brigham proceeds, first, to consider

that part or organ of the human system which is called into action by mental labour; and then to trace the effect which this labour has upon that part of the system, and upon other organs of the body, at different periods of life."

'In section first, he demonstrates that "the brain is the material organ by which the mental faculties are manifested." The reader will be at no loss to refer the following words of the author to the right state of his opinions: "That the brain is the material organ of all the mental faculties, scarcely, at this period of science, requires to be proved.* To discipline the mind,' means, therefore, to call into regular and repeated action certain portions of the brain, and to enable them to manifest easily and powerfully certain mental operations: this process is like that of exercising other organs of the body, thus giving them increased facility in the performance of their respective functions. There is much proof that the brain consists of a congeries of organs, each of which, in a healthy state, manifests a particular faculty of the mind, and that the power of each faculty chiefly depends on the size of its appropriate organ. I allude to these facts, however, only for the purpose of directing the inquiries of others to them. My present aim is simply to shew that the brain, considered as a whole, is the instrument by which the mind operates; and I hope to impress this fact deeply upon the minds of all those who are engaged in the education of youth."-(P. 18, 19.)

The author details the usual evidence, drawn from injury to the brain and from insanity; referring to various writers who adduce an immense preponderance of cases in which, in the insane, the brain has been found more or less organically deranged. "It is curious," he says, " to notice that often an injury of the brain impairs only that part of the mental faculties (memory). Such instances give great support to the phrenological views of

• Elements of Pathology, by Caleb Hillier Parry.

Gall and Spurzheim, who contend for a plurality of organs of the brain, and a separate and peculiar function to each organ." (P. 25.)

The general proposition which the author wishes to establish is, that whatever excites the mind, excites and stimulates the brain. This we know from experience in a severe headach. We perceive the pain to be increased by intense study or thinking, and that mental application determines more blood to the head. So true is it that mental excitement produces an increased flow of blood to the head, that surgeons are very careful to preserve a quiet state of mind in those whose heads are wounded." (P. 29.)

J

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The author concludes the first section with these words : "While people are exceedingly fearful of enfeebling and destroying digestion, by exciting and overtasking the stomach, they do not appear to think they may enfeeble or derange the operation of the mind, by exciting the brain by tasking it when it is tender and imperfectly developed, as it is in childhood."-(P. 33.)

The subject of the second section is, "The condition of the brain in infancy; the effect on the mind of excitement and enlargement of the brain by disease;" and the proposition that "mental precocity is usually a symptom of disease.” We are inclined to extract here a little more at length from Dr Brigham's work:

"Since at first no organ is fully developed and prepared for the powerful execution of its appropriate function, let us inquire at what time of life nature has prepared the brain for the performance of the important office of manifesting the mind.

"Let us begin with the infant, and ascertain what is the condition of its brain in early life.

"The brain of a new-born infant weighs about ten ounces; that of an adult, generally, three pounds and a half, apothecaries' weight, frequently a little less. But if the mind of an adult has been long devoted to thought, if he has been engaged in constant study, his brain is usually increased beyond this weight. The brain of Byron, for instance, is said to have weighed four pounds and a half; and that of the illustrious Cuvier, four pounds thirteen ounces and a half. The size of this organ increases from the time of birth till manhood, remains stationary from this period until old age, and then diminishes in bulk and weight +. The relative size of its different portions constantly varies during several of the first years of life, and it is not until about the seventh year that all its parts are formed ‡. During

* Meckel's Anatomy, vol. ii.

+ Andral's Pathological Anatomy, vol. ii.

Meckel.