seat of consciousness, and that its _total_ functioning is responsible
for the psychical activities which we know under the head of personality
or individuality or ego.

It is interesting to note, however, that Dr. Frederick Peterson, of
Columbia University, New York, has lately put forward the theory that
there is, or may be, a seat of consciousness, after all! In a striking
article in the _Journal of Abnormal Psychology_ (vol. iii. No. 5), he
says:--

"I will say at once that the 'seat' of that power which produces
the manifestations of consciousness is in the basal ganglia
(probably the _corpora striata_), and that consciousness is a
peculiar summation of energy at that point, capable of being
directed, like the rays of a searchlight, into this or that portion
of the brain."

Dr. Peterson then goes on to give some facts which seem to him to
support this view. Among these are the phenomena of sleep (the reasons
being too long to detail here); the fact that, although every
individual brain is stored full of experiences, only a small area
is illuminated by consciousness at any one moment; and the phenomena of
epilepsy--concerning which Dr. Peterson speaks in the following terms:

"The one disorder which has led me to think much of this subject is
epilepsy, in which disease, loss of consciousness is the most
extraordinary and often the only symptom. I allude chiefly to such
remarkable conditions as the _tic de salaam_ and the other forms of
_petit mal_, in which the patient drops suddenly to the floor with
loss of consciousness, and quite as suddenly rises again in full
possession of his faculties. I have watched such cases for hours,
and always with increasing marvel. The loss of consciousness is
complete, and often lasts but a fraction of a second. How account
for such phenomenon! If consciousness were a diffused attribute of
the whole brain, what spasm of blood-vessels or other physical
process familiar to us could act and be adjusted with such speed?
If, however, the 'seat' of consciousness be limited to some very
small portion of the brain, some physical process such as is
suggested could easily account for the instantaneous loss and
regaining of consciousness."

Other facts in support of this theory are given, and the statement of
Dr. C. L. Dana that, in poisoning by illuminating gas, the chief symptom