alent to his utmost muscular power. Dr. Buchanan then operated in such a manner, as to relax the muscular system; and, in perhaps ten minutes, he was unable to support what he had previously done with ease; nor was he able to sustain it, after a large, heavy volume, and one of a smaller size, were removed from the bag. Dr. Buchanan now reversed the operation, by exciting those organs which give tone to the system, when Mr. M., notwithstanding the fatigues of repeated attempts at lifting at his utmost strength, was so effectually re-invigorated, as to be again able to support with ease, the greatest weight he had at any time lifted.

"The second experiment was intended to illustrate the peculiar relaxation of the muscular system, which attends a state of intoxication. Dr. Buchanan, as Mr. M. stood up in front of him, placed his hand on the appropriate organs, and, in a few moments, we observed Mr. M. recoiling or staggering back, as if unable to support himself. This experiment was several times repeated, with the same result. In walking across the floor, Mr. M. appeared incapable of proceeding in a straight and steady manner; and one time, he became so weak, as to be obliged to take a chair. When asked how he felt, he answered that he felt as if he had been drinking too much.

"Dr. Buchanan now remarked that he would endeavor to excite an organ in Mr. M., of which he (the subject) could not, by any possibility, have the slightest conception. But, as Mr. M. possessed only a moderate degree of impressibility, Dr. Buchanan added that he did not expect to produce any vivid manifestation of the action of the organ; nor was he sure even of inducing any decided result. The first effect that could be imputed to the operation, was the remark of Mr. M., that his mind felt like a perfect blank, being merely conscious of surrounding objects, without the capability of reflection. Dr. Buchanan, all this time, was attempting to excite the organ of insanity; and he now modified his operation, by touching two portions of the head at once, requesting the committee to watch closely the results. In a few minutes, we discovered the expression of Mr. M.'s countenance illumed by an unusual animation; and this we regarded with the more surprise, as Mr. M., who is usually of a dull, heavy, and diffident deportment, appeared quite embarrassed and shy when he first came into the presence of the committee. Soon after this change in the expression of his countenance, Mr. M. suddenly enquired of Mr. Bryant whether he was not the editor of the 'Evening Post;' and upon being answered in the affirmative, he arose and shook hands with Mr. Bryant, in the most familiar manner, saying, 'I am very happy to become acquainted with you, not on account of your politics, but your poetry. As remarked above, Dr. Buchanan was at this time stimulating two portions of the head-one, the region of insanity, and the other, the poctical portion of the organ of ideality. As these two points were the only parts of the head touched by Dr. Buchanan, we were, of course, struck by the remarkable coincidence. Mr. M. now said

that he had heard much of Mr. Bryant's poetry, and had read some detached pieces; and he also expressed a strong desire to have an opportunity of perusing a volume of his poems, in which Mr. Bryant promised that he should be gratified. He also enquired of Mr. Bryant, in great earnestness, whether he did not think that he himself might learn to write poetry, and complained of his never having been able to compose a single verse. To the question, whether he did not now feel as if he could write poetry, Mr. M. replied that he felt unable to get his ideas together; and if he did, he feared that they would be good for nothing. It was then suggested that, as he did not receive any poetic inspiration from the hand of Dr. Buchanan, he might, perhaps, be inspired by the touch of Mr Bryant. This suggestion he seemed to adopt as quite plausible; and Mr Bryant accordingly placed his hands on the regions of im itation and credulity, and, after some time, on that, also, of selfesteem. Mr. M. now not only talked, in glowing terms, about poetry, but recited several passages, with the most extravagant enthusiasm, and vehement gesticulation-his eyes expressing an almost furious excitement, and seeming ready to start out of their sockets. One subject was the following, from Campbell's 'Pleasures of Hope.'

"Oh! sacred Truth! thy triumph ceased awhile,
And Hope, thy sister, ceased with thee to smile,
When leagued Oppression pour'd to northern wars
Her whisker'd pandours and her fierce hussars,
Waved her dread standard to the breeze of morn,
Peal'd her loud drum, and twang'd her trumpet horn;
Tumultuous horror brooded o'er her van,
Presaging wrath to Poland—and to man!

Warsaw's last champion, etc.'

"Another consisted of a patriotic Indian effusion, denouncing the white man's oppression. To the question, asked after his restoration, whether he was in the habit of reciting poetry, he answered in the negative. Certainly no one, from his general appearance, would have suspected him to be the least given to poetic declamation. Indeed, now, when the excitement was partially removed, by operating on the antagonistic organs, he was unable to repeat the lines from Campbell without assistance, in the way of having the first word of nearly every line; and when requested to declaim them as before, he merely repeated, in a subdued voice, such parts as he recollected, expressing by his actions, a want of interest in the subject. "Whilst still under the influence of self-esteem, and some remains of the excitement produced by the organ of insanity, Mr. M. set forth his ideas, at considerable length, on various political subjects, for the special edification of Messrs. Bryant and O'Sullivan, he having just before learned, that the latter was also an editor. He made an harangue against party politics and party editors, advising Mr. Bryant to confine his attention to literature, and especially poetry. From Mr. O'Sullivan he attempted to exact a promise, that he would publish in the 'Democratic Review,' an article, which he would, on

that condition, write, in regard to the rights of man. In this request. he was very strenuous and exacting, except for a few moments whilst Dr. Buchanan held his hand on the organ of humility, when, doubting his ability, he desired Dr. Buchanan to furnish him with a few ideas, and instruct him how to arrange them. The contrast apparent between the powers of expression, and elevation of thought and sentiment, evinced by him while under the excitement of the intellectual organs, and the more dull and ordinary deportment when this excitement was removed, was very striking."

During the same period that these experiments were being conducted before this sub-committee, Dr. Buchanan was engaged in delivering a course of lectures, before a private class of highly intelligent gentlemen, who, at its conclusion, presented to the public certain resolutions, expressive of the sentiments of the class. Among these resolutions, let it suffice to quote the following:

"Resolved, That, in our opinion, he has demonstrated the practicability of exciting, or modifying, or arresting the action of the scveral moral, mental, or corporeal organs, so as to change the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the individual for the time. That the experiments have, in our opinion, demonstrated the discoveries made by Dr. Buchanan."

*

In view of the preceding observations, it may be asked-Whither is this new science to lead us? Are the old landmarks of knowledge to be set aside; and are we to pull down every system which has been built up upon consciousness, or upon the tedious gatherings of observation? Is this new system to subvert all its predecessors, and then be overwhelmed in turn by another theory-a still shorter royal road to wisdom?

We answer, No. Systems pass away, but truths survive; and every new truth added to our stock of knowledge, notwithstanding it may destroy some error, cannot crush or obscure a previously known truth. The new demonstrative school of metaphysics will, we are confident, develope and confirm many of the principles which, heretofore, as no experimental mode of testing them was known, have been sustained by reason alone. We observe that memory has been restored to its rightful place in the catalogue of our faculties by the new system. Consciousness and abstraction are also recognized as special faculties, dependent upon special organs. We expect to see many of the doctrines of Locke, Reid, Stewart and Brown established experimentally on the new physiological basis.

We expect to see a subtil and intricately arranged philosophy spring up from these investigations, as different from the crude system of Gall, as is the bright face of Nature, with all her diversities of mountain, plain, forest, field, river, and sea, from the rudely sketched outline of a school-boy's map.

But to what else will it lead? If impressibility is most frequently found among those of refined organization, why may it not be evinced by some man of genius? If so, may not the intellectual

organs be stimulated to a higher degree of activity, than results from ordinary influences? May not a cerebral power be generated, bordering upon the supernatural energy of insanity? And may not this intense intellectual excitement be directed to useful purposes, in the investigation or illustration of truth? May not the student rouse his memory, when it fails to recall the knowledge that it once possessed? May not the naturalist and the artist have the external senses rendered more acute? May not the faculties of sight, touch, taste, and smell, be sharpened, for minute investigation of physical science?

May we not, by various excitements, produce all the diseases and all the conditions to which the human mind and body are subject? May we not ascertain the condition of the mind and of the brain in insanity, sleep, dreaming, trance, and the act of dying? May we not determine the seat of life, and discover in what portion of the brain the mental action is last perceived-from what spot the soul takes its final departure? May we not besiege and torture Nature with ingenious and searching experiments, until we compel her to confess her secrets?

We put these questions because they seem naturally to arise from the establishment of the fact, that we can compel the various fibres of the brain to manifest their functions; and thus we may interrogate Nature as it were, by the most rigid examinations. We believe that all that we have hinted at, and much more, is comprehended in the system of Dr. Buchanan; and that these various points have been made the subject of experiment, we know. His views have not yet been embodied in a volume, to which we might refer for their nature and scope; but we know that he aspires to go as far as human intellect can pierce the almost impenetrable mysteries of life and mind. Should he ever present to the public that "higher psychological system of philosophy," of which he speaks as distinct from Neurology, we anticipate something of a still more strange and startling character.

If all the elements of humanity can be summoned up at the beck of the skillful experimentalist, we cannot but believe that many a rare and strange feature of our common nature will be brought to light. The elements of genius, of poetry, of love, and of the mysterious sympathies of mind with mind, will be brought forth, and subjected, like the gay ornament of the skies-the rainbow-to philosophical analysis. As the natural philosopher explains its beautiful effect by the laws of that luminous medium, which, by passing through the drops of water, presents to the eye a brilliant spectrum; so will he, perhaps, explain how that higher mediumthe Divine Aura of life and thought-passing through the white and grey matter of the cerebral convolutions, originates the affections and all the poetry of life. Would it be strange if he should discover through what medium the soul acts upon its corporeal tenement, or that there are media heretofore unknown, and of a nature different from the galvanic and magnetic? Would it be incred

c

ible that faculties should be discovered in man, which have been sometimes supposed to exist in the gifted few, but which are entirely unknown and unfelt by the multitude?

In the great ideal of Humanity, in which we embody its dignity and its powers-worthy to be the servant and the agent of Divinity-we perceive that which we realize in no individual. There are none to be found who even approximate the great and perfect type of humanity. How far the noble nature of man has been debased cannot be told, nor how many of the world-knowing and worldconquering faculties, bestowed by his Creator, have been enfeebled or destroyed. There are continual aspirations to something greater and better, which are not gratified, and which we cannot carry into execution; but which seem like vestiges to remind us of what we should be, and what may once have been the nature of man. In the system of Buchanan, these vestiges are recognized; a range of faculties has been discovered, which are now dormant, and which have been, perhaps, dormant for ages, in the greater portion of the human race. These faculties, giving a stimulus to the mind, and expanding greatly its range of knowledge, may, hereafter, be developed as features of our common nature, and be made the means of obtaining a loftier species of knowledge than has ever yet been obtained by human kind.

We hope to be enabled to return to this fruitful theme, as soon as a sufficiency of facts shall have been published, to warrant some general deductions. At the present time, we regard it indeed as altogether too early to attempt to organize a science, on the basis of the phenomena as yet observed-so far, at least, as they are known to us. We have already stated, as participating in the Report above quoted from, the extent to which, alone, we consider ourselves able to draw deductions from the experiments we have witnessed. Obloquy and ridicule, on the part of nine-tenths of the promiscuous public, must, no doubt, be the portion of those who will ever dare to venture on the responsibility of avowing their belief in the facts which have been attested, to their own close and suspicious investigations, by evidence of the most convincing character. This must, and easily can be, borne with patience-until the arrival of the day, not, as we feel confident, very far distant, when all the world will recognize as familiar fact, that which all the world will, at first, unite in deriding as the absurdest of fiction.

[In the foregoing article, from the Democratic Review, I have taken the liberty of changing the term Neuraura to the more euphonious Nervaura, as at present used.-Ed. Jour. of Man.]