their masters. Even tricks of manner, the result of early training, thus often become integral parts of a man's nature, so that it is easy to say of such and such a work-" that is Dickens's, or Macaulay's," as the case may be. Nay, this is even true of the mere mechanical work of the hands; the fingers of an artist, for instance, often acquire a stereotyped style of movement, which it is impossible for him to avoid, so that at last the manipulation of Birkett Foster, or of Turner, becomes as much a part of himself as the shape of his hands. These few examples serve to show as well as more the all but infinite power of education upon the character; indeed, acceptance of the theory of no moral responsibility, far from ignoring the value of education, or denying its influence upon the character, raises it to the most exalted position, and goes as far indeed as to say that it can do everything but absolutely change the original conformation of the mind; for by habitually acting upon thought, it so modifies thought as to frequently render it difficult to detect the inherited nature, difficult, that is to say, to distinguish between natural and acquired characteristics of mind and heart.

If the foregoing statements be correct, what then is the law which dominates humanity? There is little difficulty in answering: the same law which governs the rest of the animate creation. This perhaps requires a few words of explanation.

He who looks with unbiassed mind at the world will readily enough discern that the struggle for existence is as keen and general among men as among the so-called inferior orders of

creation.

In regarding this struggle for existence, we have nothing to do with the qualities of benevolence or malevolence in the designer of the Universe; we have only to do with the fact that the struggle exists. The law is one of might, of power, of ability, to live and flourish even at the expense of others. "The Mayfly is torn by the swallow, the sparrow speared by the shrike," may be applied with perfect truth and no great difficulty to the affairs of the human family. In a state of high civilization, such as that in which we live, this law is less apparent than in less civilized communities, but it is easy to see that it nevertheless exists. In savage races the law works without control; the weak one goes to the wall, and the fittest alone survives: the fittest, among such people, being the strongest of arm and the clearest of brain. When

artificial props and certain controlling agents come into play, such as civilized nations possess in hospitals, workhouses, and the like, many of those who would perish if left to the law are preserved, and so partially obscure its working; but it cannot be doubted that in England, at the present day, this law is as much an existent fact as in the wild regions of Equatorial Africa; that is to say, that a law which determines the survival of the fittest, survival in life, arrival at and survival in success of all kinds, is really at work. This law, inexorable like all natural laws, presses hardest upon the weakest, so that it comes to pass that the weakest class is at once the poorest and the most afflicted. They who from the nature of their surroundings have the least chance of raising themselves in the world, they who from the nature of their surroundings are necessarily debarred from any but the most wretched and too often the most brutalizing pleasures, are at the same time, and by the same circumstances, condemned to a life of much physical suffering, and it is amongst them in consequence that not only vice, but disease also, chiefly dwells and flourishes.

Let us now gather together these various arguments, and see to what conclusion they lead us. We have tried to show that man does not possess the power of original or of originating thought, but that his mind can only answer to a suggestion from without; we have brought evidence to show that the child is the necessary physiological result of the parental nature, moral and physical; that it is as impossible to breed children of a type different from their parents as to gather grapes off thistles, although outside influences largely operate to mould the subsequent character. We have further shown that disease often changes the whole moral and intellectual character of man, making the bold man timid, and changing the spendthrift into a miser; we have sketched the influence of climate and soil upon the human character, and have seen that the national peculiarities of man's moral nature are as indelibly stamped in as are his outward physical distinctions; we have seen that, though from want of perfect knowledge we cannot always predict the exact action any given man will take, we yet are justified in asserting that every man acts according to his nature. While admitting to the full the influence of education upon the character and the all but absolute power of externals generally, we have endeavoured to show that an inexorable law governs the resultant character, and that the struggle for existence is similar in character to

that which obtains amongst the lower orders of creation-the whole evidence thus converging to prove that the actions of men are the inevitable consequences of preceding circumstances. While the acceptance of this theory makes man part of a foregone scheme, while it involves the conclusion that the deeds, and even words, of both individuals and nations are dictated by the necessity of their natures, it leads us at the same time to infer, that inasmuch as every external circumstance exercises a certain and definite influence upon all that it comes in contact with, that inasmuch as the evolution of the world is ever progressive and attaining higher and higher standards, that as knowledge and truth are cumulative, therefore human nature will attain to an ever increasing excellence, and so we may rationally believe that the future of humanity will be brighter than its past.

It may occur to some that if this conclusion be sound prayer is necessarily absurd or at least idle. This is not so; the feeling of adoration, the need of worship, the desire to cling to an unseen and omnipotent power, are probably as much elements of our nature as filial and maternal love. Nor must the advantage of prayer be for one moment overlooked. True, prayer cannot reverse law, but it nevertheless strengthens the mind of the petitioner. Prayer is, in fact, good for the brain, just as exercise is good for the muscles; it is in fact exercise, and is necessary to keep the brain in health. In this way the rationalist may pray with earnestness and propriety; he does not suppose that prayers for rain bring down the clouds, or that prayers for peace hasten the termination of war, or that prayers for the sick influence the result of disease, but he may with earnestness and propriety pray for patience under affliction, for charity, for courage; prayers for such subjective qualities may, indeed, be said to assure themselves being heard and answered, for by placing the mind in an attitude of patience, or charity, as the case may be, they fit it for the habitual exercise of those functions.

Paradoxical, indeed, as it may sound, it nevertheless appears that the doctrine here upheld is not without its moral lesson, for though man be no more responsible for his moral disposition of good, bad, timid, courageous, false, truthful, cruel, or kind, than he is for the colour of his hair or the shape of his nose, still he would do much towards improving his species if he paid more attention to artificial selection; if he accepted the doctrine of the transmission of moral qualities

more fully, he would take more pains to select suitable wives; he would fix his attention less on dowries and the like and more on the fitness of the moral disposition. If this theory of no-moral responsibility were accepted along with the causes which I have endeavoured to show go to make up man's character, we should be more generally charitable in our judgments, more universal in our forbearance; though the proper treatment for vice might still be coercion (as I most firmly believe it is), still we should come to hate the sin and not the sinner, we should learn to look upon vice as "a miscalculation of chances, a mistake in estimating the value of pleasures and pains, as a false moral arithmetic." Above all it would lead us to be more than ever careful in the education and early surroundings of our children; we should emulate the method pursued with young Cyrus, at whose school we read, ἔνθα πολλὴν μὲν σωφροσύνην καταμάθοι ἄν τις, αἰσχρον δ' οὐδὲν οὔτ ̓ ἀκοῦσαι, οὔτ ̓ ἰδεῖν ἐστι.

In a word, we should endeavour to make the best instead of the worst of people and of circumstances. We should learn to live not on but by one another; brotherly love would no longer be a mere empty phrase, but a real bond of union knitting all hearts, and verily making the whole world kin.

By

Two Cases of Apoplexy of the Pons Varolii, with Remarks on Syphilitic Disease of the Arteries of the Brain. JOSEPH J. BROWN, M.B., M.R.C.P.

(Read at a Quarterly Meeting of the Medico-Psychological Association, held at Glasgow, May 13th, 1875)

CASE I.-J. W., æt 26. Admitted August 19th, 1874. Married. Blacksmith. Resides in Edinburgh.

History. Patient's mother is of very intemperate habits, and has been so for many years. His brother died insane in this institution, and, besides the brain affection, suffered from phthisis pulmonalis. Patient enjoyed good health until about three months ago, when he began to suffer severely from pain all over his head, but most acute towards the vertex. This pain was not constant, but generally came on at night, or after much exertion of any kind. Five weeks ago, while he was at his usual work, he felt a creeping sensation over the left side of his body, and then felt as if all his muscles were drawn together. He lost the power of his left leg, and fell to the ground, lay for a few minutes, and then resumed his work again. After

1875.] Two Cases of Apoplexy of the Pons Varolii, &c. 267

this he experienced the creeping sensation repeatedly. These sensations were followed by loss of power, and he once fell to the ground, but remained perfectly conscious. He was carried to a house and put to bed, when he stated that he felt the whole of his left side very cold. He was unable to move the left arm or leg, and his friends noticed his face was twisted a little to the right, but his articulation was perfectly distinct; patient also at this time felt severe pain on the right side of his head towards the occipital region. After rest for ten days or so he gradually recovered the power of the left side, so much so that he intended resuming his usual work on the Monday of the week he was admitted here; his friends, however, noticed his face remained some. what twisted, and he frequently complained of pain in the back of his head. On Sunday morning (August 16), when patient attempted to rise from his bed, he found he had lost the power of his left leg and arm; his face was twisted much to the right side, and his articulation was much impaired; he was perfectly conscious, and told his friends exactly what he wished, though his speech was indistinct. During the day he got very restless and sleepless, and the following day expressed delusions about people plotting against him and wishing to take his life; also began to exhibit hallucinations of hearing, and got so excited and maniacal that he had to be removed to the asylum on account of violence.

State on Admission.-Patient was under the influence of chloral when brought, but after a few hours' rest the following facts were ascertained. He was fairly nourished, and of average muscularity. Hair dry, skin moist; temp. 98°F. No signs of any wounds or injury to the head; occiput very prominent.

Digestive System.-Tongue furred and dry, bowels constipated. Liver and spleen normal.

Circulatory System.-Heart normal; pulse 65, of good strength, and regular.

Respiratory System.-Healthy, breathing regular.

Nervous System.-Motor power was much impaired on the left side; the left arm lay helplessly by the side of the body; on being asked to move it, he took his right hand to lift it, and the power of grasping by the left hand was completely lost; the left leg was not so much affected as the arm, for the patient could draw it upwards while in bed, but could not stand. The face was drawn to the right side, and the lines of expression of the left side were greatly obliterated; the tongue was protruded to the left, and the articulation was indistinct and mumbling. Sensibility was almost absent over the left side, both to touch and temperature, while that of the right side remained normal. The conjunctiva of the left eye had lost all sensitiveness and the reflex action was abolished, as on being touched he felt no pain and the eyelids remained in the same position, while the right eyelids closed firmly whenever the right conjunctiva was touched. Pupils were equal, not abnormally contracted, and both were sluggish 18

XXI.