the foundations of personality-第3章

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　then　the　reversed　miracle　takes　place；　unfortunately　too　rarely！　The　disordered　mind；　the　altered　character；　leaps　upward　to　its　old　place；after　being　dosed　by　the　marvelous　drug　Salvarsan；　created　by　the　German　Jewish　scientist；　Paul　Ehrlich。　Of　extraordinary　interest　are　the　rare　cases　of　loss　of　personal　identity　seen　after　brain　injury；　say　in　war。　A　man　is　knocked　unconscious　by　a　blow　and　upon　restoration　of　consciousness　is　separated　from　that　past　in　which　his　ego　resides。　He　does　not　know　his　history　or　his　name；　and　that　continuity　of　the　〃self〃　so　deeply　prized　and　held　by　all　religions　to　be　part　of　his　immortality　is　gone。　Then　after　a　little　while；　a　few　days　or　weeks；　the　disarranged　neuronic　pathways　reestablish　themselves　as　usual；and　the　ego　comes　back　to　the　man。　One　might　cite　the　feeble…mindedness　that　results　from　meningitis；　brain　tumor；　brain　abscess；　brain　wounds；　etc。；　as　further　evidence　of　the　dependence　of　mind　upon　brain；　of　its　status　as　a　function　of　brain。　No　philosopher　seriously　doubts　that　equilibrium　and　movement　are　functions　of　the　brain；　and　yet　to　prove　this　there　is　no　evidence　of　any　other　kind　than　that　cited　to　prove　the　relationship　of　mind　to　brain。＇1＇　And　what　applies　to　the　intelligence　applies　as　forcibly　to　character；　for　purpose；　emotion；　mood；　instinct　and　will　are　altered　with　these　diseases。　＇1＇　Except　that　equilibrium　does　not　itself　judge　of　its　relationship　to　brain；　whereas　mind　is　the　sole　judge　of　its　relationship　and　dependence　on　brain。　Since　everything　in　the　world　is　a　mental　event；　mentality　cannot　be　dependent　upon　anything；　and　everything　depends　upon　mind　for　its　existence；　or　at　least　its　recognition。　But　we　get　nowhere　by　such　〃logic〃　gone　mad。　Apply　the　same　kind　of　reasoning　to　brain…mind；　body…mind　relationship　which　anatomists　and　physiologists　apply　to　other　functions；　and　one　can　no　longer　separate　body　and　mind。

Interesting　as　is　the　relationship　between　mind　and　character　and　the　brain；　it　is　at　the　present　overshadowed　by　the　fascinating　relationship　between　these　psychical　activities　and　the　bodily　organs。　What　I　am　about　to　cite　from　medicine　and　biology　is　part　of　the　finest　achievements　of　these　sciences　and　hints　at　a　future　in　which　a　true　science　of　mind　and　character　will　appear。　Certain　of　the　glands　of　the　body　are　described　as　glands　of　internal　secretions　in　that　the　products　of　their　activity；　their　secretions；　are　poured　into　the　blood　stream　rather　than　on　the　surface　of　the　body　or　into　the　digestive　tract。　The　most　prominent　of　these　glands；　all　of　which　are　very　small　and　extraordinarily　active；　are　as　follows：　The　Pituitary　Body　（Hypophysis）a　tiny　structure　which　is　situated　at　the　base　of　the　brain　but　is　not　a　part　of　that　organ。　The　Pineal　Body　（Epiphysis）a　still　smaller　structure；　located　within　the　brain　substance；　having；　however；　no　relationship　to　the　brain。　This　gland　has　only　lately　acquired　a　significance。　Descartes　thought　it　the　seat　of　the　soul　because　it　is　situated　in　the　middle　of　the　brain。　The　Thyroid　gland；　a　somewhat　larger　body；　situated　in　the　front　of　the　neck；　just　beneath　the　larynx。　We　shall　deal　with　this　in　some　detail　later　on。　The　Parathyroids；　minute　organs；　four　in　number；　just　behind　the　thyroid。　The　Thymus；　a　gland　placed　just　within　the　thorax；　which　reaches　its　maximum　size　at　birth　and　then　gradually　recedes　until　at　twenty　it　has　almost　disappeared。　The　Adrenal　glands；　one　on　each　side　of　the　body；　above　and　adjacent　to　the　kidney。　These　glands；　which　are　each　made　up　of　two　opposing　structures；　stand　in　intimate　relation　to　the　sympathetic　nervous　system　and　secrete　a　substance　called　adrenalin。　The　Sex　organs；　the　ovary　in　the　female　and　the　testicle　in　the　male；　in　addition　to　producing　the　female　egg　（ovum）　and　the　male　seed　（sperm）；　respectively；　produce　substances　of　unknown　character　that　have　hugely　important　roles　in　the　establishment　of　mind；　temperament　and　sex　character。　Without　going　into　the　details　of　the　functions　of　the　endocrine　glands；　one　may　say　that　they　are　〃the　managers　of　the　human　body。〃　Every　individual；　from　the　time　he　is　born　until　the　time　he　dies；　is　under　the　influence　of　these　many　different　kinds　of　elements；some　of　them　having　to　do　with　the　development　of　the　bones　and　teeth；　some　with　the　development　of　the　body　and　nervous　system；　some　with　the　development　of　the　mind；　etc。　（and　character）；　and　later　on　with　reproduction。　These　glands　are　not　independent　of　one　another　but　interact　in　a　marvelous　manner　so　that　under　or　overaction　of　any　one　of　them　upsets　a　balance　that　exists　between　them；　and　thus　produces　a　disorder　that　is　quite　generalized　in　its　effects。　The　work　on　this　subject　is　a　tribute　to　medicine　and　one　pauses　in　respect　and　admiration　before　the　names　and　labors　of　Brown；　Sequard；　Addison；　Graves　and　Basedow；　Horsley；　King；　Schiff；　Schafer；　Takamine；　Marie；　Cushing；　Kendal；　Sajous　and　others　of　equal　insight　and　patient　endeavor。　But　let　us　pass　over　to　the　specific　instances　that　bear　on　our　thesis；　to　wit；　that　mind　and　character　are　functions　of　the　organism　and　have　their　seat　not　only　in　the　brain　but　in　the　entire　organism。　How　do　the　endocrines　prove　this？　As　well　as　they　prove　that　physical　growth　and　the　growth　of　the　secondary　sex　characters　are　dependent　on　these　glands。　Take　diseases　of　the　thyroid　gland　as　the　first　and　shining　example。　The　thyroid　secretes　a　substance　which　substantially　is　an　〃iodized　globulin；〃and　which　can　be　separated　from　the　gland　products。　This　secretion　has　the　main　effect　of　〃activating　metabolism〃　（Vassale　and　Generali）；　in　ordinary　phrase　it　acts　to　increase　the　discharge　of　energy　of　the　cells　of　the　body。　In　all　living　things　there　is　a　twofold　process　constantly　going　on：　first　the　building　up　of　energy　by　means　of　the　foodstuffs；　air　and　water　taken　in；　and　second　a　discharge　of　energy　in　the　form　of　heat；　motion　andin　my　belief　emotion　and　thought　itself；　though　this　would　be　denied　by　many　psychologists。　Yet　how　escape　this　conclusion　from　the　following　facts？　There　is　a　congenital　disease　called　cretinism　which　essentially　is　due　to　a　lack　of　thyroid　secretion。　This　disease　is　particularly　prevalent　in　Southern　France；　Spain；　Upper　Italy　and　Switzerland。　It　is　characterized　mainly　by　marked　dwarfism　and　imbecility；　so　that　the　adult　untreated　cretin　remains　about　as　large　as　a　three　or　four…year…old　child　and　has　the　mental　level　about　that　of　a　child　of　the　same　age。　But；　this　comparison　as　to　intelligence　is　a　gross　injustice　to　the　child；　for　it　leaves　out　the　difference　in　character　between　the　child　and　the　cretin。　The　latter　has　none　of　the　curiosity；　the　seeking　for　experience；　the　active　interest；　the　pliant　expanding　will；　the　sweet　capacity　for　affection；　friendship　and　love　present　in　the　average　child。　The　cretin　is　a　travesty　on　the　human　being　in　body；　mind　and　character。　But　feed　him　thyroid　gland。　Mind　you；　the　dried　substance　of　the　glands；　not　of　human　beings；　but　of　mere　sheep。　The　cretin　begins　to　grow　mentally　and　physically　and　loses　to　a　large　extent　the　grotesqueness　of　his　appearance。　He　grows　taller；　his　tongue　no　longer　lolls　in　his　mouth；　the　hair　becomes　finer；　the　hands　less　coarse；　and　the　patient　exhibits　more　normal　human　emotions；　purposes；　intelligence。　True；　he　does　not　reach　normality；　but　that　is　because　other　defects　beside　the　thyroid　defect　exist　and　are　not　altered　by　the　thyroid　feeding。　There　is　a　much　more　spectacular　disease　to　be　cited；　a　relatively　infrequent　but　well…understood　condition　called　myxoedema；　which　occurs　mainly　in　women　and　is　also　due　to　a　deficiency　in　the　thyroid　secretion。　As　a　result　the　patient；　who　may　have　been　a　bright；　capable；　energetic　person；　full　of　the　eager　purposes　and　emotions　of　life；　gradually　becomes　dull；　stupid；　apathetic；　without　fear；　anger；　love；　joy　or　sorrow；　and　without　purpose　or　striving。　In　addition　the　body　changes；　the　hair　becomes　coarse　and　scanty；　the　skin　thick　and　swollen　（hence　the　name　of　the　disease）　and　various　changes　take　place　in　the　sweat　secretion；　the　heart　action；　etc。　Then；　having　made　the　diagnosis；　work　the　great　miracle！　Obtain　the　dried　thyroid　glands　of　the　sheep；　prepared　by