the foundations of personality-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　managers　of　the　human　body。〃　Every　individual；　from　the　time　he　is　born　until　the　time　he　dies；　is　under　the　influence　of　these　many　different　kinds　of　elements；some　of　them　having　to　do　with　the　development　of　the　bones　and　teeth；　some　with　the　development　of　the　body　and　nervous　system；　some　with　the　development　of　the　mind；　etc。　（and　character）；　and　later　on　with　reproduction。　These　glands　are　not　independent　of　one　another　but　interact　in　a　marvelous　manner　so　that　under　or　overaction　of　any　one　of　them　upsets　a　balance　that　exists　between　them；　and　thus　produces　a　disorder　that　is　quite　generalized　in　its　effects。　The　work　on　this　subject　is　a　tribute　to　medicine　and　one　pauses　in　respect　and　admiration　before　the　names　and　labors　of　Brown；　Sequard；　Addison；　Graves　and　Basedow；　Horsley；　King；　Schiff；　Schafer；　Takamine；　Marie；　Cushing；　Kendal；　Sajous　and　others　of　equal　insight　and　patient　endeavor。　But　let　us　pass　over　to　the　specific　instances　that　bear　on　our　thesis；　to　wit；　that　mind　and　character　are　functions　of　the　organism　and　have　their　seat　not　only　in　the　brain　but　in　the　entire　organism。　How　do　the　endocrines　prove　this？　As　well　as　they　prove　that　physical　growth　and　the　growth　of　the　secondary　sex　characters　are　dependent　on　these　glands。　Take　diseases　of　the　thyroid　gland　as　the　first　and　shining　example。　The　thyroid　secretes　a　substance　which　substantially　is　an　〃iodized　globulin；〃and　which　can　be　separated　from　the　gland　products。　This　secretion　has　the　main　effect　of　〃activating　metabolism〃　（Vassale　and　Generali）；　in　ordinary　phrase　it　acts　to　increase　the　discharge　of　energy　of　the　cells　of　the　body。　In　all　living　things　there　is　a　twofold　process　constantly　going　on：　first　the　building　up　of　energy　by　means　of　the　foodstuffs；　air　and　water　taken　in；　and　second　a　discharge　of　energy　in　the　form　of　heat；　motion　andin　my　belief　emotion　and　thought　itself；　though　this　would　be　denied　by　many　psychologists。　Yet　how　escape　this　conclusion　from　the　following　facts？　There　is　a　congenital　disease　called　cretinism　which　essentially　is　due　to　a　lack　of　thyroid　secretion。　This　disease　is　particularly　prevalent　in　Southern　France；　Spain；　Upper　Italy　and　Switzerland。　It　is　characterized　mainly　by　marked　dwarfism　and　imbecility；　so　that　the　adult　untreated　cretin　remains　about　as　large　as　a　three　or　four…year…old　child　and　has　the　mental　level　about　that　of　a　child　of　the　same　age。　But；　this　comparison　as　to　intelligence　is　a　gross　injustice　to　the　child；　for　it　leaves　out　the　difference　in　character　between　the　child　and　the　cretin。　The　latter　has　none　of　the　curiosity；　the　seeking　for　experience；　the　active　interest；　the　pliant　expanding　will；　the　sweet　capacity　for　affection；　friendship　and　love　present　in　the　average　child。　The　cretin　is　a　travesty　on　the　human　being　in　body；　mind　and　character。　But　feed　him　thyroid　gland。　Mind　you；　the　dried　substance　of　the　glands；　not　of　human　beings；　but　of　mere　sheep。　The　cretin　begins　to　grow　mentally　and　physically　and　loses　to　a　large　extent　the　grotesqueness　of　his　appearance。　He　grows　taller；　his　tongue　no　longer　lolls　in　his　mouth；　the　hair　becomes　finer；　the　hands　less　coarse；　and　the　patient　exhibits　more　normal　human　emotions；　purposes；　intelligence。　True；　he　does　not　reach　normality；　but　that　is　because　other　defects　beside　the　thyroid　defect　exist　and　are　not　altered　by　the　thyroid　feeding。　There　is　a　much　more　spectacular　disease　to　be　cited；　a　relatively　infrequent　but　well…understood　condition　called　myxoedema；　which　occurs　mainly　in　women　and　is　also　due　to　a　deficiency　in　the　thyroid　secretion。　As　a　result　the　patient；　who　may　have　been　a　bright；　capable；　energetic　person；　full　of　the　eager　purposes　and　emotions　of　life；　gradually　becomes　dull；　stupid；　apathetic；　without　fear；　anger；　love；　joy　or　sorrow；　and　without　purpose　or　striving。　In　addition　the　body　changes；　the　hair　becomes　coarse　and　scanty；　the　skin　thick　and　swollen　（hence　the　name　of　the　disease）　and　various　changes　take　place　in　the　sweat　secretion；　the　heart　action；　etc。　Then；　having　made　the　diagnosis；　work　the　great　miracle！　Obtain　the　dried　thyroid　glands　of　the　sheep；　prepared　by　the　great　drug　houses　as　a　by…product　of　the　butcher　business；　and　feed　this　poor；　transformed　creature　with　these　glands！　No　fairy　waving　a　magical　wand　ever　worked　a　greater　enchantment；　for　with　the　first　dose　the　patient　improves　and　in　a　relatively　short　time　is　restored　to　normal　in　skin；　hair；　sweat；　etc。；　and　MIND　and　character！　To　every　physician　who　has　seen　this　happen　under　his　own　eyes　and　by　his　direction　there　comes　a　conviction　that　mind　and　character　have　their　seat　in　the　organic　activities　of　the　body；and　nowhere　else。　An　interesting　confirmation　of　this　is　that　when　the　thyroid　is　overactive；　a　condition　called　hyperthyroidism；　the　patient　becomes　very　restless　and　thin；　shows　excessive　emotionality；　sleeplessness；　has　a　rapid　heart　action；　tremor　and　many　other　signs　not　necessary　to　detail　here。　The　thyroid　in　these　cases　is　usually　swollen。　One　of　the　methods　used　to　treat　the　disease　is　to　remove　some　of　the　gland　surgically。　In　the　early　days　an　operator　would　occasionally　remove　too；　much　gland　and　then　the　symptoms；　of　myxoedema　would　occur。　This　necessitated　the　artificial　feeding　of　thyroid　the　rest　of　the　patient's　life！　With　the　proper　dosage　of　the　gland　substance　the　patient　remains　normal；　with　too　little　she　becomes　dull　and　stupid；　with　too　much　she　becomes　unstable　and　emotional！　There　are　plenty　of　other　examples　of　the　influence　of　the　endocrines　on　mind；　character　and　personality。　I　here　briefly　mention　a　few　of　these。　In　the　disease　called　acromegaly；　which　is　due　to　a　change　in　the　pituitary　gland；　amongst　other　things　are　noted　〃melancholic　tendencies；　loss　of　memory　and　mental　and　physical　torpor。〃　A　very　profound　effect　on　character　and　personality；　exclusive　of　intelligence；　is　that　of　the　sex　glands。　One　need　not　accept　the　Freudian　extravagances　regarding　the　way　in　which　the　sex　feelings　and　impulses　enter　into　our　thoughts；　emotions；　purposes　and　acts。　No　unbiased　observer　of　himself　or　his　fellows　but　knows　that　the　satisfaction　or　non…satisfaction　of　the　sex　feeling；　its　excitation　or　its　suppression　are　of　great　importance　in　the　destinies　of　character。　Further；　man　as　herdsman　and　man　as　tyrant　have　carried　on　huge　experiments　to　show　how　necessary　to　normal　character　the　sex　glands　are。　As　herdsman　he　has　castrated　his　male　Bos　and　obtained　the　ox。　And　the　ox　is　the　symbol　of　patience；　docility；　steady　labor；　without　lust　or　passion；and　the　very　opposite　of　his　non…castrated　brother；　the　bull。　The　bull　is　the　symbol　of　irritability　and　unteachableness；　who　will　not　be　easily　yoked　or　led　and　who　is　the　incarnation　of　lust　and　passion。　One　is　the　male　transformed　into　neuter　gender；　and　the　other　is　rampant　with　the　fierceness　of　his　sex。　Compare　the　eunuch　and　the　normal　man。　If　the　eunuch　state　be　imposed　in　infancy；　the　shape　of　the　body；　its　hairiness；　the　quality　of　the　voice　and　the　character　are　altered　in　characteristic　manner。　The　eunuch　essentially　is　neither　man　nor　woman；　but　a　repelling　Something　intermediate。　Enough　has　been　said　to　show　that　mind　and　character　are　dependent　upon　the　health　of　the　brain　and　the　glands　of　the　body；　that　somewhere　in　the　interaction　of　tissues；　in　the　chemistry　of　life；　arises　thought；　purpose；　emotion；　conduct　and　deed。　But　we　need　not　go　so　far　afield　as　pathology　to　show　this；　for　common　experience　demonstrates　it　as　well。

If　character　is　control　of　emotions；　firmness　of　purpose；　cheerfulness　of　outlook　and　vigor　of　thought　and　memory；　then　the　tired　man；　worn　out　by　work　or　a　long　vigil；　is　changed　in　character。　Such　a　person　in　the　majority　of　cases　is　irritable；　showing　lack　of　control　and　emotion；　he　slackens　in　his　life's　purposes；　loses　cheerfulness　and　outlook　and　finds　it　difficult　to　concentrate　his　thoughts　or　to　recall　his　memories。　Though　this　change　is　temporary　and　disappears　with　rest；　the　essential　fact　is　not　altered；　namely；　fatigue　alters　character。　It　is　also　true　that　not　all　persons　show　this　vulnerability　to　fatigue　in　equal　measure。　For　that　matter；　neither　do　they　show　an　equal　liability　to　infectious　diseases；　equal　reaction　to　alcohol　or　injury。　The　feeling　of　vigor　which　rest　gives　changes　the　expression　of　personality　to　a　marked　degree。　It　is　true　that　we　are　not　apt　to　think　of　the　tired　man　as　changed　in　character；　yet　we　must　admit　on　reflection　that　he　has　undergone　transformation。　Even　a　loaded　bowel　may；　as　is　well　known；　alter　the　reaction　to　life。　Among　men　who　are　coarse　in　their　language　there　is　a　salutation　more　pertinent　than　elegant　that　inquires　into　the　state　of　the　bowels。＇1＇　The　famous　story　of　Voltaire　and　the　Englishman；　in　which　the　sage　agreed　to　suicide　because　life　was　not　worth　living　when　his　digestion　was　disordered　and　who　broke　his　agreement　when　he　purged　himself；　illustrates　how　closely　mood　is　related　to　the　intestinal　tract。　And　mood　is　the　background　of　the　psychic　life；　upon　which　depends　the　direction　of　our　thoughts；　cheerful　or　otherwise；　the　vigor　of　our　will　and　purpose。　Mood　itself　arises　in　part　from　the　influences　that　stream　into　the　muscles；　joints；　heart；　lungs；　liver；　spleen；　kidneys；　digestive　tract　and　all　the　organs　and　tissues　by　way　of　the　afferent　nerves　（sympathetic　and　cerebro…spinal）。　Mood　is　thus　in　part　a　reflection　of　the　health　and　proper　working　of　the　organism；　it　is　the　most　important　aspect　of　the　subconsciousness；　and　upon　it　rests　the　structure　of　character　and　personality。　＇1＇　What　is　called　coarse　is　frequently　crudely　true。　Thus；　in　the　streets；　in　the　workshops；　and　where　men　untrammeled　by　niceties　engage　in　personalities　the　one　who　believes　the　other　to　be　a　〃crank〃　informs　him　in　crude　language　that　he　has　intestinal　stasis　（to　put　the　diagnosis　in　medical　language）　and　advises　him　accordingly　to　〃take　a　pill。〃

This　does　not　mean　that　only　the　healthy　are　cheerful；　or　that　the　sick　are　discouraged。　To　affirm　the　dependence　of　mind　upon　body　is　not　to　deny　that　one　may　build　up　faith；　hope；　courage；　through　example　and　precept；　or　that　one　may　not　inherit　a　cheerfulness　and　courage　（or　the　reverse）。　〃There　are　men；〃　says