An inquiry concerning that disturbed state of the vital functions usually denominated constitutional irritation / By Benjamin Travers.

  • Travers, Benjamin, 1783-1858
Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inquiry concerning that disturbed state of the vital functions usually denominated constitutional irritation / By Benjamin Travers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    be considered as anatomical, is that a communication for every pur- pose but that of will is kept up by nerves between the heart and the immediate instruments of the mind. y ‘«: It has been objected that there must be an organic difference between the nerves which supply the voluntary muscles and those which go to the vital organs, because the former are fatigued by long exertion, whereas the latter are not so by consti action. But wherever constant action is from any cause the habitual state of a muscle, no fatigue is produced by it, as appears in the volun- tary muscles which contribute to respiration. Fatigue 1s produced only by an action greater or Jonger than that to which the muscle is accustomed, and when the heart is violently excited, a proportional exhaustion and feebleness are the consequence. The peculiar spe- cies of pain called weariness, does not indeed follow, but the gene- ral succession of exhaustion to more than usual excitement is the same- . : ‘«« Every organic explanation of the involuntary motions assumes some circumstance in the structure of the brain or its appendages which is not proved by experience to be real. The best of them is therefore an hypothesis. . << The above attempt to refer the phenomena to the philosophy of mind requires no fact to be presupposed, and is founded solely on those facts of which we are conscious. It can only be objected to therefore on the ground of its inadequacy, to explain the pheno- mena, andif it does explain them, it is a legitimate theory. Wa MACKINTOSH.” “* 13th March, 1826.