A new view of insanity : The duality of the mind proved by the structure, functions, and diseases of the brain, and by the phenomena of mental derangement, and shewn to be essential to moral responsibility. With an appendix ... / By A.L. Wigan.

  • Wigan, A. L. (Arthur Ladbroke)
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new view of insanity : The duality of the mind proved by the structure, functions, and diseases of the brain, and by the phenomena of mental derangement, and shewn to be essential to moral responsibility. With an appendix ... / By A.L. Wigan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    dition, it will be impossible to give to morals and natural religion a scientific foundation; and, until these shall assume the stableness and precision of science, education, political economy, and legislation, must con- tinue defective in their principles and application. If this be a true representation of the present state of mental philosophy, I need make no apology for putting forth a theory which may tend to reconcile the discrepancy of opinion on such important subjects. I hope, at least, to point out a path which may lead others to a more open country, than the tangled maze they have hitherto pursued in vain. If the facts and arguments advanced in the present work, and the inferences to which they lead, be admitted, it must be allowed that they furnish ample materials for the construction of a theory at once so novel and so important, that if its truth be established it may almost aspire to the honour of being called a discovery. This may seem too bold an assumption to him who commences the investigation, but after a patient perusal of the evidence, he will, I think, feel himself compelled to yield his assent to the claim. I have carefully examined most of the established authors on the subject of the mind, and of its mani- festations through a material organ, as well as those on the anatomy and physiology of the brain, and other writers on collateral subjects, and I cannot find one, except Dr. Holland, who has advanced a single step on the road to the important truth which I hope to esta- blish; namely, that the mind is essentially dual, like the organs by which it is exercised. Even Dr. Holland does not follow up his own ideas to their legitimate consequences, nor arrive at the logical result to which