AN event recently occurred in the northern capital which not only startled that place like the shock of an earthquake, but also smote with doubt and trembling the hearts of many Christians throughout the land. And to the thoughtful mind this is not the least painful aspect of such a catastrophe as the death of the late Hugh Miller. The devout philosopher may be able, in the face of so tragic an event, to hold fast his deepest convictions of the promised shielding and sheltering power of Christ over his faithful servants; but the multitudes of simple-hearted, pious men need to have this dark mystery, not indeed fully opened up to their comprehension, but brought within the reach of their godly confidence and faith. The philosophy of insanity must be presented to them in Christian terms. For to them *1. The Power of the Soul over the Body, considered in relation to Health and Morals. By GEORGE MOORE, M.D., Member of the Royal College of Physicians, etc. Third Edition. London. Longman Co. 1846. 2. Essays on the Partial Derangement of Mind in supposed Connection with Religion. By JOHN CHEYNE, M.D. Dublin: Curry & Co. 1843. 3. The Use of the Body in Relation to the Mind. By GEORGE MOORE, M.D. Second Edition. London: Longman & Co. 1847. VOL. XLI.-NO. II. AND RELIGION." the Christian of high profession and attainments stands forth as one to whom they are but too apt to look as a living exhibition of all the possible influences of the Gospel. They want to know how it was that the plague did come nigh his dwelling, since the promise made to every one that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High is, that he shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, who will, therefore, satisfy him with long life, and show him His salvation. The case was actually thus proposed to ourselves, as counterevidence against the world's estimate of the goodness of one of the highest literary attainments and piety of the last generation, who was cut off by a supposed "pestilence." And, moreover, the fact alluded to has something like a terrible charm to certain minds which, we may suspect, have to struggle with temptations of their own, for which they, too, would be glad to find an excuse in the force of outward circumstances, or constitutional tendencies of sufficient potency for secret justification. Having found it needful, for private reapeared to us to be not religious eccentrisons, to investigate the causes of what apcities, but forms of insanity, in cases 10 without which its marvellous powers will yield him no obedience. And to follow up these cases a few steps further, for the sake of illustrating the maxim, that man and his world are hedged in by laws so stern and unyielding, that in other instances they either enforce obedience or result in death-let us look at the ship, richly freighted with human life and material wealth, which steam, obeying its own laws, is urging over the unwilling seas, winds and waves fighting together against its progress in vain. What a glorious vision for him whose thoughtful mind is stored with materials for filling up the brought under our own immediate observ-| ation, we think it may be important, at this time, to record them, not only in the hope of relieving some wounded sufferer under life's darker mysteries, but also of throwing a few rays of light upon the path of the professional spiritual guide, without which, we believe his best efforts in certain cases will be misdirected, vain, and possibly productive of further mischief. We make no pretensions to scientific knowledge but such as we have obtained from the careful study of professional authors, who have investigated these topics for the benefit of non-professional readers. But careful observation vast chasm between the Indian's first rude has long convinced us, that without some information of this kind, the spiritual guide goes forth incompletely equipped for his arduous and difficult duties. Psychology reveals to its few votaries the mysteries of the human mind; but it meddles not with the mysteries of its connection with the body; and yet it is quite certain that mental operations are so essentially dependent upon bodily conditions, that mental aberrations, greater or less, can not be satisfactorily explained but by means of this kind of knowledge. For not only is the body influenced by the mind, which most know, but also the spiritual mind is influenced, in its progress or deterioration, by the body, which fewer understand. Hence Dr. Moore has written upon the morality of the stomach. We are hedged in by laws which are really what the Median and Persian only pretended to be-unalterable. Men may modify or direct, but they can not alter the laws by which the acorn becomes the oak. If the seed of the oak is cast on the sea, or set in the sands on its shore, or exposed to the atmosphere on a stone or on the hard soil, it will not grow; because it is subject to laws which all these circumstances violate. And similar remarks are applicable to every organized body with which the wants or the fancies of man induce him to deal. Steam and the electric fluid will obey him, if he will first of all obey them. Steam will do his bidding, if he will investigate the constitution of that most subtle machinery, in which alone the laws by which it is hedged in will permit it to work. And the electric fluid will pass under the ocean, and carry his messages to earth's poles, if he will expend millions for inventing for it that machinery attempt to make a road on the waters and that gallant ship! On she sails, man's pride, and glory, and faith! An explosion more terrible than thunder shivers the goodly vessel into fragments. That fearful crash that shook the stout heart of every sailor on board-that momentary climax of human misery, too awful and too profound for words to body forth-the floating spars, the sole remains of that noble vessel-what do they tell us? They simply tell us that some one of the laws by which steam is hedged in had been violated, and that it exacted death in some of its most terrible forms as the penalty. There has But, further, a machine may not only be destroyed at once, but also damaged, and so become more or less unfit to fulfill perfectly its functions. Or, there may be latent evils at work, counteracting some one of its laws, but so slowly that the fatal issue comes on at last almost unperceived. Such has been the origin of the destruction of some steam machinery. been a weak or faulty part overlooked or undervalued, which was, however, contrary to the laws by which steam (to employ the phrase of another) "is hedged in ;" and when, in its certain march, the evil reached the prescribed degree, the engine was destroyed by the laws of its own steam. And this is strictly applicable to that organized machine which is hedged in with the unalterable laws of health and disease, of life and death-the human body. Not only will some sudden and palpable disaster-the knife thrust into the heartproduce instant death, but there are other evils, fostered either by ignorance or a willful violation of known laws, which will gradually, but as surely, prepare the body for premature destruction, or inefficiency, as the overlooked or disregarded mischief asylum. This is thrown out for considerain the steam-machine. For just as we tion, not because educated people in have seen mechanical instruments laid general are altogether without this kind aside as useless, because some law of their of warning knowledge, but because there constitution had been gradually violated, is always a great moral difference between so have we seen human bodies premature- that general knowledge of a danger which ly laid aside as useless, for like causes, popular notions respecting it teach, and either in the sick chamber or the lunatic that which arises from the accurate teachasylum. And the two cases are philo-ings of science. sophically, and not fancifully, parallel. Perhaps, indeed, (if we may protract "Ich habe selbst den Gift an Tausende gegeben, But the ethical bearings of our subject are, perhaps, the most important of all. The melancholy stories of insanity which have been connected with, and traced up to religion, demand such a clear statement of what insanity is, and does, or may occasion, as shall free man's noblest and best earthly heritage from so dreadful an accusation. And, fortunately, such statements have been made by those who were not only experimental Christians, but also experimental men of science; and on this subject we ourselves should not care to abide by the judgment of either the theoretic Christian or the theoretic man of science. We turn, in the first place, to the work which stands second at the head of this article. Dr. Cheyne, in his Essays, thus records his professional opinion: "That mental derangement may originate in superstition or fanaticism-by either of which, mind is invaded, to the interruption of social behind a visor of religious zeal, all sobriety of and domestic duties-will be understood by those who know that insanity, in the predisposed, may arise from any cause that excites, at the same time that it agitates, the mind. But that true religion which removes doubts and distractions, explains our duties, and reconciles us to them, and teaches that all things work together for good to them that love God; and thus not only guides, but supports us, as we toil through the weary maze of life; which, in And the experience of very many can every pursuit, demands moderation and method, trace prematurely-ailing bodies to similar-that true religion should be productive of inignorance of physical laws. We have often considered, therefore, whether some elementary knowledge of the structure of the human body should not enter into general education. We think it was Milton who suggested, in his book on education, that every student should at least be taught to manage his digestive organs; in addition to this, such elementary information might be given as to the structure of the brain, as would save many in after life from daily tampering with its functions and powers, with the certain penalty before them of the mournful end of the suicide, or of the inmate of the lunatic-never."-Page 144. sanity, is not easily credible, and would require the clearest evidence."-Page 131. Again, he elsewhere expresses himself thus: "We firmly believe that the Gospel, received simply, never, since it was preached, produced a single case of insanity; the admission that it has such a tendency ought never to have been conceded to the enemies of the Cross. We have granted that fanaticism and superstition have caused insanity, as well they may; nay, derangement of the mind may often have been caused by the terrors of the law; but by the Gospel-by a knowledge of and trust in Jesus And the testimony of Dr. Moore is to puncture in the skin, in consequence of the same effect. Thus we read: "Some say religion is a frequent cause of insanity. No; true religion is the spirit of love, and of power, and of a sound mind; ever active in diversified duties and delights, and always busy in a becoming manner, and in a decent order. But the wild notions, unmeaning superstitions, spiritual bondage, unrequired and forbidden rites and ceremonies which wayward men have substituted for the liberty of God, begin in disobedience and end in darkness."Power of the Soul over the Body, p. 296. Upon the strength of such testimony as this, the spiritual guide can confidently, without painful and shrinking misgivings, seek to reduce any case occurring within his own experience to its true causes, always at the outset casting aside the element of religion as encumbering it, however much ignorant or interested persons may wish to introduce it. But before proceeding to illustrate supposed cases of religious insanity, we will show how the spiritual condition is influenced by disorders of the body. By investigating the influences of food and drink on the mind, we soon discover the strongest motives for self-denial, and learn many a lesson concerning the nature and extent of our responsibility. The comfort and efficiency of the intellect, nay, the moral perception, manliness, and virtue of the mind, depend greatly on our use of aliment; and in the very means by which we sustain the strength of the body, or most directly disorder its functions, we at the same time either fortify or disable the brain. It is of course known, that the physical nature of man depends upon his food; but it is less known how much the moral nature depends upon the physical nature; or what changes in the temper and disposition are introduced by physical influences. An example, which truly illustrates this, may be fairly accepted as proving the principle, and with this view we avail ourselves of the following medical testimony. If the human body is dissected before putrefaction takes place, the dissecter, if he cuts himself, or if he has a previous wound in his hand, is in danger of absorbing from the dead body a something that is frequently destructive of life. Many years ago, a medical gentleman, of liberal mind and amiable disposition, while engaged in the dissection of a body, imbibed the poison referred to through a which he well nigh lost his life. From the time of his illness, from which he slowly recovered, it was observed that he was morose and selfish. The conclusion of this short history is remarkable. Several years afterward, the same individual came under the influences of godliness, and one of the first effects of this-the only principle of true reform-was an act of great generosity; and ever after his life was a course of gentleness and unostentatious benevolence. It is the principle implied in this, that in other exhibitions bears out the opinion quoted with approbation by Dr. Moore, that "it has been said, and probably with truth, that food has a higher bearing on the mind than on the physical frame of man." It has been shown experimentally, that the mind can only exert its powers through the instrumentality of the bodily organs. If the nerves which convey sensation be compressed, there will be no perception of bodily qualities; if the brain be compressed, thought will be suspended; if the nerves of motion be compres sed, the will can no longer command them. And from the doctrine deducible from such facts as these, it follows, that every fresh inroad upon the mind, every example of amentia, delusion, or insanity, is connected with some corresponding change in the condition of the body. Dr. Cheyne remarks, that he never saw a case of mental derangement, even when traceable to a moral career, in which there was not reason to believe that bodily disease could have been detected before the earliest aberration, had an opportunity offered for examination." And the same highly religious and scientific authority adds, "Not only does every deranged state of the intellectual faculties and the natural affections depend upon bodily disease, but also derangements of the religious and moral sentiments originate in diseases of the body." Hence it can be explained, that the sinking of despair is not more dreadful or extreme than the hopelessness which depends merely upon the disease of the nervous system. But what warnings are conveyed by such facts to him, who, instead of mastering his appetites, the indulgence of which is the fruitful parent of so many diseases, is mastered by them! Perhaps it may startle some to be told that even the conscience, which is popu |