the foundations of personality-第5章
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er。 One sees the austere man； when drunk； become ribald； the repressed； close…fisted become open…mouthed and open…hearted； the kindly； perhaps brutal； the controlled； uncontrolled。 In the change of character it effects is the regret over its passing and the greatest reason for prohibition。 Alcohol causes several well…defined mental diseases as well as mere drunkenness。 In Delirium Tremens there is an acute delirium； with confusion； excitement and auditory and visual hallucinations of all kinds。 The latter symptom is so prominent as to give the reason for the popular name of the 〃snakes。〃 In alcoholic hallucinosis the patient has delusions of persecution and hears voices accusing him of all kinds of wrong…doing。 Very frequently； as all the medical writers note； these voices are 〃conscience exteriorized〃； that is； the voices say of him just what he has been saying of himself in the struggle against drink。 Then there is Alcoholic Paranoia； a disease in which the main change is a delusion of jealousy directed against the mate； who is accused of infidelity。 It is interesting that in the last two diseases the patient is 〃clear…headed〃； memory and orientation are good； the patient speaks well and gives no gross signs of his trouble。 As the effects of the alcohol wear away； the patient recovers；i。e。； his character returns to its normal。 It becomes necessary at this point to take up a reverse side of our study； namely； what is often called the influence of 〃mind over matter。〃 Such cures of disease as seem to follow prayer and faith are cited； such incidents as the great strength of men under emotion or the disturbances of the body by ideas are listed as examples。 This is not the place to discuss cures by faith。 It suffices to say this： that in the first place most of such cures relate to hysteria； a disease we shall discuss later but which is characterized by symptoms that appear and disappear like magic。 I have seen 〃cured〃 （and have 〃cured〃） such patients； affected with paralysis； deafness； dumbness； blindness； etc。； with reasoning； electricity； bitter tonics； fake electrodes； hypnotism； and in one case by a forcible slap upon a prominent and naked part of the body。 Hysteria has been the basis of many a saint's reputation and likewise has aided many a physician into affluence。 Nor is the effect of coincidence taken into account in estimating cures； whether by faith or by drugs。 Many a physician has owed his start to the fact that he was called in on some obscure case just when the patient was on the turn towards recovery。 He then receives the credit that belonged to Nature。 Medical men understand this；that many diseases are 〃self…limited〃 and pass through a cycle influenced but little by treatment。 But faith curists do not so understand； and neither does the mass of people； so that neither one nor the other separates 〃post hoc〃 from 〃propter hoc。〃 If the truth were told； most of the miracle and faith cures that are not of hysterical origin are due to coincidence。 Faith curists report in detail their successes； but we have no statistics whatever of their failures。 If thought is a product of the brain activated by the rest of the organism； it would be perfectly natural to expect that thought would influence the organism。 That thought is intimately associated with impulses to action is well known。 This action largely takes place in the speech muscles but also it irradiates into the rest of the organism。 Especially is this true if the thought is associated with some emotion。 Emotion； as we shall discuss it later； is at least in large part a bodily reaction； a disturbance in heart； lungs； abdominal organs； blood vessels； sympathetic nervous system； endocrines； etc。 The effect of thought and emotion upon the body； whether to heighten its activity or to lower its activity； is； from my point of view； merely the effect of one function of the organism upon others。 We are not surprised if digestion affects thinking and mood； and we need not be surprised if thought and mood disturb or improve digestion。 And we may substitute for digestion any other organic function。 As a working basis； substantiated by the kind of proof we use in our daily lives in laboratories and machine shops； we may state that mind； character and personality are organic in their origin and are functions of the entire organism。 What a man thinks； does and feels （or perhaps we should reverse this order） is the result of environmental forces playing upon a marvelously intricate organism in which every part reacts on every other part； in which nervous energy influences digestion and digestion influences nervous energy； in which enzymes； hormones； and endocrines engage in an extraordinary game of checks and balance； which in the normal course of events make for the individual's welfare。 What a man thinks； does； and feels influences the fate of his organism from one end of life to the other。 We have not adduced in favor of the organic nature of mind； character and personality the facts of heredity。 This is a most important set of facts； for if the egg and the sperm carry mentality and personality； they may be presumed to carry them in some organic form； as organic potentialities； just as they carry size；＇1＇ color； sex； etc。 That abnormal mind is inherited is shown in family insanity in the second； third and fourth generation cases of mental disease。 Certain types of feeble…mindedness surely are transmitted from generation to generation； as witness the case of the famous （or infamous） Jukes family。 In this group vagabondage； crime； immorality and other character abnormalities appeared linked with the feeble…mindedness。 But there is plenty of evidence to show that normal character qualities are inherited as well as the abnormal。＇2＇ Galton； the father of eugenics； collected facts from the history of successful families to prove this。 It is true that he failed to take into account the facts of SOCIAL heredity； in that a gifted man establishes a place for himself and a tradition for his family that is of great help to his son。 Nevertheless； musical ability runs in families and races； as does athletic ability； high temper； passion； etc。 In short； at least the potentialities； the capacities for character； are transmitted together with other qualities as part of the capital of heredity。 ＇1＇ I have collected and published from the records and wards of the State Hospital at Taunton； Mass。； many such cases。 The whole subject is to be reviewed in a following book on the transmission of mental disease； but no one seriously doubts that there is a transference of 〃insane〃 character from generation to generation。 In fact； I believe that a little too much stress hag been laid on this aspect of mental disease and not enough on the fact that sickness may injure a family stock and cause the descendants to be insane。 Any one who has seen a single case of congenital General Paresis； where a child has a mental disease due to the syphilis of a parent； and can doubt that character and mind are organic； simply is blinded by theological or metaphysical prejudice。 ＇2＇ See his book 〃Genius。〃
This means that in studying character and personality； we must start with an analysis of the physical make…up of the individual。 We are not yet at the point in science where we can easily get at the activities of the endocrinal glands in normal mentality。 We are able to recognize certain fundamental types； but more we cannot do； nor are we able to measure nervous energy except in relatively crude ways； but these crude ways have great value under certain conditions。 When there has been a change in personality； the question of bodily disease is always paramount。 The first questions to be asked under such circumstances are； 〃Is this person sick？〃 〃Is the brain involved？〃 〃Are endocrinal glands involved？〃 〃Is there disease of some organ of the body； acting to lower the feeling of well…being； acting to slacken the purposes and the will or to obscure the intelligence？〃 There are other important questions of this type to answer； some of which may be deferred for the time。 Meanwhile； the next equally fundamental thesis is on the effect of the environment upon mind； character and personality。
CHAPTER II。 THE ENVIRONMENTAL BASIS OF C
