nown and generally
acknowledged. We annually treat thousands of invalids whom we have never
beheld, and relieve them of their ailments. This has been accomplished
chiefly through correspondence. When patients have failed to delineate
their symptoms currently, or have given an obscure account of their
ailments, we have been materially assisted in ascertaining the character
of the disease by photographs of the subjects. The cerebral conformation
indicates the predisposition of the patient, and enables us to estimate
the strength of his recuperative energies. Thus we have a valuable guide
in the selection of remedies particularly suited to different
constitutions. In the treatment of chronic diseases, the success
attending our efforts has been widely appreciated, not only in this, but
in other countries where civilization, refinement, luxurious habits, and
effeminating customs, prevail. This fact is mentioned, not only as an
illustration of the personal benefits actually derived from a thorough
knowledge of the nervous system, but to show how generally and
extensively these advantages have been shared by others.

A careful study of cerebral physiology leads us deeper into the
mysteries of the human constitution, and to the philosophical
contemplation of the relations of mind and body. Self-culture implies
not only a knowledge of the powers of the mind, but also how to direct
and use them for its own improvement, and he who has the key to
self-knowledge, can unlock the mysteries of human nature and be
eminently serviceable to the worlds For centuries the mind has been
spreading out its treasury of revelations, to be turned to practical
account, in ascertaining the constitution, and determining better
methods of treating disease. Since comparative anatomists and
physiologists have revealed the structure of animals and the functions
of their organs, from the lowest protozoan to the highest vertebrate,
the physician may avail himself of this knowledge, and thus gain a
deeper insight into the structure and physiology of man. An intimate
acquaintance with the physical, is a necessary preparation for the study
of the psychical life, for it leads to the understanding of their mutual
relations and reactions, both in health and disease.

Consciousness, or the knowledge of sensations and mental operations, has
been variously defined. It is employed as a collective term to express
all the psychical states, and is the power by which t