The principles of physiology by John Augustus Unzer; and A dissertation on the functions of the nervous system, by George Prochaska.

Johann August Unzer

Date:: 1851

Credit: The principles of physiology by John Augustus Unzer; and A dissertation on the functions of the nervous system, by George Prochaska. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Gerstein Science Information Centre at the University of Toronto, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto.

86/504 (page 52)

$tions, or the imaginations themselves (Baiimgarten, §§ 445, 446), their material ideas are less energetic than those of either (53). Still, the stronger the foreseeings are, the greater the strength of their material ideas (26). 74. When the material ideas of sensational foreseeings and forebodings excite animal actions, the actions must in part accord with those of the future external sensations, and be regulated according to the strength of the ideas. 75. Sensational foreseeings and forebodings are often pro- duced in dreaming and in insanity (Baumgarten, § 458). What has been already stated generally with reference to sensational foreseeings (73, 74) is equally applicable to this class, and especially to those of soothsayers,—persons who have skill in foreseeing the future (Baumgarten, § 456). Understanding, 76. The aggregate of the sensational powers of the mind {^Q) is termed the sensational perceptive power; and the true ex- ternal sensations, as well as the other sensational conceptions, are sensational perceptions [Erkenntnisse]. All conceptions which are only remotely determined by external sensations (65, 66), are termed conceptions of the understanding [the higher perceptive faculty); the faculty of judgment, of intel- lectual memory, of prevision, &c., belong to this class. The material ideas of all these conceptions are not developed directly, either by external impressions, or by the material ideas which they produce; but are impressed on the brain by the most spontaneous action of the mind, and are developed by the very obscure mechanism of the animal-sentient forces (6, 27). 77. Attention (the directing of the mind to anything) is such an application of the mind, that it retains a certain con- ception, while it neglects the rest. During attention, the material ideas of a certain conception are retained when those of the other conceptions become w^eak, or disappear; and the greater the attention, the more vigorous are the material ideas and their operations. This turning of the conceptive force from other inferior conceptions, in behalf of that to which the mind attends, is termed abstraction, and a continuous act of attention to the components of an entire conception or perception, is$