An essay, or tract, on the vitality of the warm blood and air / by James Morison ; edited and republished by Elisha North.

  • James Morison
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay, or tract, on the vitality of the warm blood and air / by James Morison ; edited and republished by Elisha North. 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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    When a person thinks, it is the blood that thinks, by it e operation of its organ the brain. 'When he tastes, it is the blood that tastes, by the operation of the palate and the tongue. When he sees, it is the blood that sees, by the operation of the eyes. When he hears, it is the blood that hears by the aid of the inner ears. When he breathes, it is the blood that breathes and draws in air by the assist- ance of the lungs. When he feels by the skin, it is the blood that feels by the agency of the skin, which is a nervous expansion. When he suffers pain of any kind, he is suffering from some ob- struction or impediment, to the free and proper circulation of the blood; if externally in the shape of a wound, and if internally in the shape of humours obstructing the heart and vessels in their proper action. When he wishes, wills, de- sires, loves, hates and despises, it is the blood that does all these acts by the operation of the brain. [The more good blood there is, which circulates in the brain, when young, the bigger the head will grow, and the more mind and feeling there will be, ever afterwards. Phrenologists will comprehend this.] When a person executes a movement of any kind, it is the blood that does it by the operation of the spine, which is the principal organ of movement, when aided by the limbs. When a person digests, it is the blood that digests by the operation of the gastric juices, poured [or slowly distilled] into the stomach. When the bowels evacuate, it is the blood that evacuates, by means of the bile exciting the bowels. How erroneously have philosophers, naturalists, anatomists and phy- siologists reasoned on the brain : they have as- cribed to it all the vitality, the life, the soul of man, and considered it a kind of deity presiding over all the rest of the body. This arose from their viewing the body, as if composed of several different pieces put together of very differ-