A treatise on the blood, inflammation, and gun-shot wounds / by John Hunter ; with notes by James F. Palmer.

  • John Hunter
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the blood, inflammation, and gun-shot wounds / by John Hunter ; with notes by James F. Palmer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    proved by experiment; but I think daily experience shows us that the living principle in the body acts exactly upon the same princi- ple with the brain. Every part of the body is susceptible of im- pression, and the materia vitae of every part is thrown into action, which, if continued to the brain, produces sensation; but it [the materia vita?] may only be such as to throw the part impressed into such actions as it is capable of, according to the kind of impression; so does the brain or mind. The body loses impression by habit, so does the brain; it continues action from habit, so does the brain. The body, or parts of the body, have a recollection of former im- pressions when impressed anew; so has the brain: but they have not spontaneous memory as the brain has, because the brain is a complete whole of itself, and therefore its actions are complete in themselves. The materia vitae of the body being diffused, makes part of the body in which it exists, and acts for this part, and probably for this part alone. The whole, taken together, hardly makes a whole, so as to constitute what might be called an organ, the action of which is always for some other purpose than itself: but this is not the case with the brain. The brain is a mass of this matter, not diffused through anything for the purpose of that thing, but constituting an organ in itself, the actions of which are for other purposes, viz., receiving, by means of the nerves, the vast variety of actions in the diffused materia vitse which arise from impression and habit, combining these, and distinguishing from what part they come. The whole of these actions form the mind, and, according to the result, react so as to impress more or less of the materia vitas of the body in return, producing in such parts consequent actions. The brain, then, depends upon the body for its impression, which is sensation, and the consequent action is that of the mind ; and the body depends upon the consequence of this intelligence, or effect of this mind, called the will, to impress it to action ; but such [sensation and action] are not spent upon itself, but are for other purposes, and are called voluntary. as in polypi, where the nutritious tubes of one individual are generally supplied by numerous mouths, which give it the semblance of a composite animal. The Polygastrica derive their name from an analogous mul tiplication of their digestive organ; and in the Taenia?, each joint of the animal is the seat of a separate ovary. In these, which may be considered as the first steps of animal organization, we may observe a close resemblance to vegetables. There is no attempt or approach to centralization, but all the properties or functions of the animal (for which in the higher orders distinct organs are appropriated) are enjoyed by and reside in equally every part, and confer on every part an individuality of existence which enables it, when separated from the whole, to exist, to grow, and to reproduce as a complete animal. The knowledge of these facts by Hunter may serve to show the extent of his information on comparative anatomy, and the powers which he possessed of generalization; but I look upon it as a still higher proof of the activity of his genius, to have applied so unexpected a truth to the illustration of the life of the blood. In the ensuing note I shall have occasion to notice the error into which many physiologists have fallen in expounding this part of Mr. Hunter's doctrines. See note, Friiciples of Surgery, p. 54 J and Cyclop, of Mat. and Phys. art. Acrita.] 11