the origin and nature of emotions-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


g　of　forceful　uplifting　environmental　stimuli？

There　are　now；　as　there　were　in　Darwin's　day；　many　who　feel　that　man　is　degraded　from　his　high　estate　by　the　conception　that　he　is　not　a　reasoning；　willing　being；　the　result　of　a　special　creation。　But　one　may　wonder　indeed　what　conception　of　the　origin　of　man　can　be　more　wonderful　or　more　inspiring　than　the　belief　that　he　has　been　slowly　evolved　through　the　ages；　and　that　all　creatures　have　had　a　part　in　his　development；　that　each　form　of　life　has　contributed　and　is　contributing　still　to　his　present　welfare　and　to　his　future　advancement。


Recapitulation

Psychology；the　science　of　the　human　soul　and　its　relations；　under　the　mechanistic　theory　of　life；　must　receive　a　new　definition。　It　becomes　a　science　of　man's　activities　as　determined　by　the　environmental　stimuli　of　his　phylogeny　and　of　his　ontogeny。

On　this　basis　we　postulate　that　throughout　the　history　of　the　race　nothing　has　been　lost；　but　that　every　experience　of　the　race　and　of　the　individual　has　been　retained　for　the　guidance　of　the　individual　and　of　the　race；　that　for　the　accomplishment　of　this　end　there　has　been　evolved　through　the　ages　a　nerve　mechanism　of　such　infinite　delicacy　and　precision　that　in　some　unknown　manner　it　can　register　permanently　within　itself　every　impression　received　in　the　phylogenetic　and　ontogenetic　experience　of　the　individual；　that　each　of　these　nerve　mechanisms　or　brain　patterns　has　its　own　connection　with　the　external　world；　and　that　each　is　attuned　to　receive　impressions　of　but　one　kind；　as　in　the　apparatus　of　wireless　telegraphy　each　instrument　can　receive　and　interpret　waves　of　a　certain　rate　of　intensity　only；　that　thought；　will；　ego；　personality；　perception；　imagination；　reason；　emotion；　choice；　memory；　are　to　be　interpreted　in　terms　of　these　brain　patterns；　that　these　so…called　phenomena　of　human　life　depend　upon　the　stimuli　which　can　secure　the　final　common　path；　this　in　turn　having　been　determined　by　the　frequency　and　the　strength　of　the　environmental　stimuli　of　the　past　and　of　the　present。

Finally；　as　for　life's　origin　and　life's　ultimate　end；　we　are　content　to　say　that　they　are　unknown；　perhaps　unknowable。　We　know　only　that　living　matter；　like　lifeless　matter；　has　its　own　place　in　the　cosmic　processes；　that　the　gigantic　forces　which　operated　to　produce　a　world　upon　which　life　could　exist；　as　a　logical　sequence；　when　the　time　was　ripe；　evolved　life；　and　finally　that　these　cosmic　forces　are　still　active；　though　none　can　tell　what　worlds　and　what　races　may　be　the　result　of　their　coming　activities。




A　MECHANISTIC　THEORY　OF　DISEASE＇*＇


＇*＇　Oration　in　Surgery。　　Delivered　at　the　147th　Annual　Meeting　of　the　Medical　Society　of　New　Jersey；　at　Spring　Lake；　N。　J。；　June　11；　1913。

In　this　address　the　paragraphs　which　were　taken　from　the　preceding　paper；　〃A　Mechanistic　View　of　Psychology；〃　have　been　omitted；　those　portions　only　being　republished　in　which　the　premises　have　been　applied　in　a　discussion　of　certain　medical　problems　rather　than　of　psychological　problems。



The　human　body　is　an　elaborate　mechanism　equipped　first　for　such　conflict　with　environment　as　will　tend　to　the　preservation　of　the　individual；　and　second　for　the　propagation　of　the　species；　both　of　these　functions；　when　most　efficiently　carried　out；　tending　to　the　upbuilding　and　perfection　of　the　race。　From　the　date　of　Harvey's　discovery　of　the　circulation　of　the　blood；　to　the　present　day；　the　human　body　has　been　constantly　compared　to　a　machine；　but　the　time　for　analogy　and　comparison　is　past。　I　postulate　that　the　body　is　itself　a　mechanism　responding　in　every　part　to　the　adequate　stimuli　given　it　from　without　by　the　environment　of　the　present　and　from　within　by　the　environment　of　the　past；　the　memory　of　which　is　stored　in　the　central　battery　of　the　mechanism　the　brain。　　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*

If　the　full　history　of　the　species　and　of　the　individual　could　be　known　in　every　detail；　then　every　detail　of　that　individual's　conduct　in　health　and　disease　could　be　predicted。　Reaction　to　environment　is　the　basis　of　conduct；　of　moral　standards；　of　manners　and　conventions；　of　work　and　play；　of　love　and　hate；　of　protection　and　murder；　of　governing　and　being　governed；　in　fact；　of　all　the　reactions　between　human　beingsof　the　entire　web　of　life。　As　Sherrington　has　stated；　〃Environment　drives　the　brain；　the　brain　drives　the　various　organs　of　the　body；〃　and　here　we　believe　we　find　the　key　to　a　mechanistic　interpretation　of　all　body　processes。

On　this　basis　we　may　see　that　the　activities　of　life　depend　upon　the　ability　of　the　parts　of　the　body　mechanism　to　respond　adequately　to　adequate　stimulation。　　This　postulate　applies　not　only　to　stimuli　from　visible　forces；　but　to　those　received　by　the　invasion　of　the　micro…bodies　which　cause　pyogenic　or　non…pyogenic　infections。　In　the　case　of　dangerous　assaults　by　visible　or　invisible　enemies；　the　brain；　through　the　nerves　and　all　parts　of　the　motor　mechanism；　meets　the　attack　by　attempts　at　adaptation。　　Recovery；　invalidism；　and　death　depend　upon　the　degree　of　success　with　which　the　attacking　or　invading　enemies　are　met。　　Questions　regarding　disease　become；　therefore；　questions　in　adaptation；　and　it　is　possible　that；　when　studied　in　the　light　of　this　conception；　the　key　to　many　hitherto　unsolved　physical　problems　may　be　found。

Perhaps　no　more　convincing　proof　of　our　thesis　may　be　secured　than　by　a　study　of　that　ever…present　phenomenonpain。　　In　whatever　part　of　the　body　and　by　whatever　apparent　cause　pain　is　produced；　we　find　that　it　is　invariably　a　stimulation　to　motor　activity　whose　ultimate　object　is　protection。　　Thus　by　the　muscular　action　resulting　from　pain　we　are　protected　against　heat　and　cold；　against　too　powerful　light；　against　local　anemia　caused　by　prolonged　pressure　upon　any　portion　of　the　body。　　So；　too；　pain　of　greater　or　less　intensity　compels　the　required　emptying　of　the　pregnant　uterus　and　the　evacuation　of　the　intestine　and　the　urinary　bladder。

It　should　be　noted　that　in　every　instance　the　muscular　activity　resulting　from　pain　is　specific　in　its　type；　its　distribution；　and　its　intensity；　this　specificity　being　true　not　only　of　pain　which　is　the　result　of　external　stimulation；　but　also　of　the　pain　associated　with　certain　types　of　infection。

Pain；　however；　is　not　the　only　symptom　of　the　invasion　of　the　body　by　pyogenic　or　parasitic　organisms。　　Fever；　invariably；　and　chills；　often；　accompany　the　course　of　the　infections。　Can　these　phenomena　also　be　explained　as　adaptations　of　the　motor　mechanism　for　the　good　of　the　individual？

As　the　phenomena　of　chills　and　fever　are　most　strikingly　exhibited　in　malaria；　let　us　study　the　course　of　events　in　that　disease。　It　is　known　that　the　malarial　parasite　develops　in　the　red　blood…corpuscles；　and　that　the　chills　and　fever　appear　when　the　cycle　of　parasitic　development　is　complete　and　the　adults　are　ready　to　escape　from　the　corpuscles　of　the　blood　plasma。　Bass；　of　New　Orleans；　has　proved　that　the　favorable　temperature　for　the　growth　of　the　malarial　organism　is　98'0；　and　that　at　102'0　the　adult　organisms　will　be　killed；　though　the　latter　temperature　is　not　fatal　to　the　spores。　　The　adult　life　of　the　malarial　parasite　begins　after　its　escape　into　the　blood　plasma；　and　it　is　there　that　the　organism　is　most　susceptible　to　high　temperature。　We　must　infer；　therefore；　that　the　fever　is　an　adaptation　on　the　part　of　the　host　for　despatching　the　enemy。

What；　then；　may　be　the　protective　part　played　by　the　chill？　A　chill　is　made　up　of　intermittent　contractions　of　all　the　external　muscles　of　the　body。　　This　activity　results　in　an　increase　of　the　body　heat　and　in　an　anemia　of　the　superficial　parts　of　the　body；　so　that　less　heat　can　be　lost　by　radiation。　By　this　means；　therefore；　the　external　portions　of　the　body　contribute　measurably　to　the　production　of　the　beneficent　and　saving　fever。

It　must　be　remembered　that　this　power　of　adaptation　is　not　peculiar　to　man　alone；　but　that　it　is　a　quality　shared　by　all　living　creatures。　While　the　human　body　has　been　adapting　itself　for　self…protection　by　producing　a　febrile　reaction　whereby　to　kill　the　invading　organis