again seized as before with intense somnolency, and after a long and deep sleep, wakes up in the child state. She has now a perfect recollection of all that previously occurred in that state-resumes her tasks at the point she left off, and continues to make progress as a person would do who was of that age and under those circumstances; but has once more entirely lost all remembrance of the persons and things connected with her state of health. This alteration recurs many times, and at last becomes the established habit of the individual-like an incurable ague."-Pp. 391-3. (Cases of alternate consciousness may be seen in Mayo's Physiology, 4th edition, p. 105; Combe's System of Phrenology, 5th edition, i. 242; ii. 224; and Abercrombie On the Intellectual Powers, 3d edition, p. 294. A recent case is reported in the Northern Journal of Medicine for June 1845.) After some preliminary remarks, Dr Wigan proposes the following explanation :

"A. We know by innumerable examples, that a sudden physical shock, or a blow on the head, shall reduce the healthy and acute brain of a profound scholar to a state wherein he has all the mental characteristics of childhood-is pleased or offended by trifles, so apparently insignificant that in his previous state they would not excite the most evanescent attention,—his sensations and perceptions are still perfect, but his reasoning powers are gone.

"B. In other cases, a similar accident shall obliterate portions or the whole of his acquired knowledge, he will lose, for example, one language and retain others, or he may lose all;-and, on his recovery from the physical effect of the accident, he has to begin his life again, and proceed to acquire information in the same mode as a child, though with a much slower progression.

"C. These effects arise sometimes also from a moral shock, such as the sudden communication of afflicting news-terror-detection in crime, or any other analogous cause, equally or indifferently whether the cause be moral or physical-the brain is either entirely spoiled, temporarily deranged, only slightly injured, or in gradation from one to the otherlosing one or more of its functions, and one or more portions of acquired knowledge.

"D. After such effects have lasted a considerable time, and have or have not been accompanied or followed by any of the usual forms of mental aberration, or of imbecility, the whole powers of the brain may be restored either gradually or in an instant-the watch may resume its motion.

"All these facts are so familiar to medical men, that for them it is unnecessary to cite cases; and other readers would find them tedious and difficult to understand; but if any one wish to examine for himself, he will meet with many such recorded in every work on insanity.

"1. If, then, my doctrine of the entire completeness and sufficiency of each brain as an instrument of mind be firmly established, it follows, so plausibly as to be almost certain, that any of the states, A, B, C, and D, and many intermediate modifications of them, may spontaneously occur in one brain, leaving the other entirely unaffected; we see an example of this in hemiplegia, or paralysis on one side only.

"2. One brain may be subjected to one of these changes, and the other

brain may have its powers and functions changed or modified in a different manner.

"3. One brain may be reduced to the state of childhood (state A), and the other remain in its ordinary state.

"4. One brain may be in the state of A or B, and the other may have its functions suspended or modified by a greater or less degree of torpor, as in sleep, catalepsy, ecstasis, &c.

"5. One brain may be in the state of childhood, and the other torpid and unconscious.

"Now, any of the states here described, or any modification of one or more of them may co-exist, or they may alternate. We see phenomena more or less analogous in intermittent insanity, where definite periods of excitement, collapse, and mental health, follow in uninterrupted succession; the examples are numerous.

Suppose the lady whose case is spoken of as the second form of the malady of alternate consciousness, to be placed in the state No. 5 (a modification of that described under letter A.) The only brain she now has at her command is the brain in the child state; and, while the other remains in its torpor and quasi extinct, she must pursue her education as a child.

"Let us next suppose the child brain to be in its turn seized with torpor, and the other to resume its functions with the use of all its previously acquired knowledge. Here, then, is the second state of the patient satisfactorily explained."-Pp. 394-6.

If these numerous and rather violent suppositions were demonstrated facts, we should agree with Dr Wigan in regarding his ideas on this subject as "complete and satisfactory." Meanwhile, however, they can hardly be looked upon otherwise than as a plausible hypothesis, to be thankfully received until somebody shall offer one with superior claims to belief. By Dr Wigan himself, we presume, no higher place than this, in the estimation of men of science, is claimed for it.

In chap. xxi., IMBECILITY and FOLLY are treated of, and held, with truth, to be essentially different from each other. "We see," says the author, " numerous examples of men who are frequently committing acts and uttering sentiments of excessive folly, from vanity and conceit, yet in their sober moments, and after deliberate consideration, can put forth words of wisdom and make shrewd observations, which must have been preceded by a long train of ratiocination. Nay, there are short periods when such persons will converse with an acuteness and a power equal to men of acknowledged sense and discretion. The phrase, first applied I believe to Goldsmith -inspired idiot'-refers to this peculiar structure of mind.

Folly seems to reside generally in one brain only, and to be perfectly compatible with the possession of another brain of ordinary vigour and perfection. When the weaker brain becomes exhausted by its incessant exercise, perhaps through the day, and by the excitement of events, it will at

night, in silence and solitude, remain passive, while the sounder organ takes a calm review of the follies it has been unable to prevent; a feeling akin to remorse will arise, with strong resolutions of better conduct in future; and if the then thoughts be committed to paper, we are surprised how so silly a person can write so sensibly. Imbecility is a

different affair; it is an imperfection in both brains, and graduates down to idiocy."-P. 296. The phrenological explanation of folly is, that, "by the excitement of events" or otherwise, some of the propensities or sentiments (such as Combativeness, Amativeness, or Love of Approbation) are rendered so active and energetic, as to overpower the faculties which ought to regulate them; and that, when their action is exhausted, or when solitude favours its subsidence and allows antagonist faculties to come into play, regret and just views of conduct present themselves. Surely this explanation is infinitely more satisfactory than that of Dr Wigan, who assumes, 1st, that independent action of the two brains is an ordinary and habitual phenomenon; 2dly, that all foolish people have one of the brains weaker than the other (the folly of course being greater, the greater the difference of strength of the two); and 3dly, that "the weaker brain" is able to overcome the stronger, which remains in utter subjection to its feeble neighbour until the feebleness of the conqueror is converted into absolute exhaustion!

Dr Wigan intimates, that, should his speculations be accepted as well founded, he has many corollaries to draw, and applications of the theory to work out, in medicine, morals, jurisprudence, and the management of criminals, on which he thinks it would be useless to enter till he knows whether his doctrine be admitted or rejected. If he will only reduce the independent and opposite action of the two brains to the rank of a morbid, exceptional, or comparatively rare phenomenon ; and substitute for it, in most of the instances where it is employed by him, the independent and opposite action of pairs of cerebral organs ;-if, for instance, instead of explaining alternations of courage and timidity by supposing that "the two brains" perform opposite functions, and "are in the habit of relieving guard" (p. 338), he will adopt the theory, that the two co-operating organs of Combativeness are more active at one time, and the two co-operating organs of Cautiousness at another;--any statement of corollaries which he may publish, will, we think, attract the respectful attention of phrenologists. And, as corollaries and applications of the one doctrine must be in a great measure identical with those of the other, we should rejoice were Dr Wigan to give us another opportunity

of meeting him in a field where discussion cannot but be useful, even though probable conclusions are the utmost that we can confidently hope to attain.

It may be remarked, in conclusion, that phreno-mesmerists say they are able to excite singly an organ in one hemisphere, and at the same time a different organ singly in the other hemisphere. A case of this kind was quoted from Dr Elliotson in a former volume of this Journal (vol. xv., p. 373), and additional particulars may be seen in the Zoist, No. vi., p. 225, and No. ix., p. 74.

VI. The American Journal of Insanity. Edited by the Officers of the New York State Lunatic Asylum, Utica. Nos. I., II., III. Utica, 1844-5. London: Wiley and Putnam.

Dr Brigham is the principal editor of this truly useful and interesting Journal. In the words of the prospectus. "Its object is to popularize the study of Insanity,-to acquaint the general reader with the nature and varieties of this disease, methods of prevention and cure. We also hope to make it useful and interesting to members of the medical and legal profession, and to all those engaged in the study of the phenomena of mind.

"Mental philosophy, or metaphysics, is but a portion of the physiology of the brain; and the small amount of good accomplished by psychological writers, may perhaps be attributed to the neglect of studying the mind in connection with that material medium which influences, by its varying states of health and disease, all mental operations.

We regard the human brain as the chef d'œuvre or master-piece of creation. There is nothing that should be so carefully guarded through all the periods of life. Upon its proper development, exercise, and cultivation, depend the happiness and highest interests of man. Insanity is but a disease of this organ, and when so regarded, it will often be prevented, and generally cured, by the early adoption of proper methods of treatment.”

Dr Brigham's definition of Insanity is inferior to none that we have seen:-"A chronic disease of the brain, producing either derangement of the intellectual faculties, or prolonged change of the feelings, affections, and habits of an individual." P. 97. He regards the brain as a congeries of organs. Judging from the Numbers before us, which we have attentively perused, the work is very well fitted to accomplish the ends proposed.

We have copied an article by Dr Davis into this Number, and shall hereafter enrich our pages with some of Dr Brigham's papers. From an article in No. I., we learn that he is decidedly opposed to a plan which has been recommended in England by the Metropolitan Commissioners in Lunacythat of establishing separate asylums for the curable and incurable insane. He says:

"After much consideration, we are constrained to oppose such arrangements. Establishments solely for the poor and incurable we believe would soon become objects of but little interest to any one, and in which neglect, abuse, and all kinds of misrule, would exist, and exist without detection.

"We are opposed to them principally on these grounds. "1. No one can determine with much accuracy which patients are, and which are not, incurable. Of those in this asylum we cannot say of at least one-third to which of those classes they belong. We still indulge hopes of their restoration, but probably shall be disappointed in a majority of them. But the hope we have, and which encourages us in our efforts to cure them, would be destroyed by sending them to an incurable establishment. The fact that the chances of recovery would be diminished to even but a few, is enough to make us hesitate before we establish such asylums.

"2. Many that are incurable are monomaniacs. They are deranged but on one or two subjects, and sane on others. Such surely should not be deprived of any comforts that are afforded the curable class, among which the greatest is hope of again being restored to society, which would be destroyed if they were sent to an incurable asylum. Equally or more strongly does this objection apply to cases of remission,-to those numerous cases in which insanity is exhibited for a week, and followed by several weeks of sanity. Shall these be told there is no hope for them?

"3. Among the incurable insane there would be no certain means of ascertaining the neglect or abuse of them. In all asylums, the fact that some are well, and soon to leave the asylum, is the greatest safeguard against abuse.

4. No possible good could arise from such distinct asylums, except that they might be conducted at less expense. But how so, if they are to have proper officers, physicians, &c. And if they do not, why are they better than poorhouses?"

In No. III. we find the following note on the exemption of the Cherokee Indians and Africans from insanity:-" Dr Lillybridge of Virginia, who was employed by the Government as the Medical Officer to superintend the removal of VOL. XVIII. N. §. NO. XXXI. JULY 1845.

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