the foundations of personality-第4部分

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cept；　or　that　one　may　not　inherit　a　cheerfulness　and　courage　（or　the　reverse）。　〃There　are　men；〃　says　James；　〃who　are　born　under　a　cloud。〃　But　exceptional　individuals　aside；　the　mass　of　mankind　generates　its　mood　either　in　the　tissues　of　the　body　or　in　the　circumstances　of　life。　Children；　because　they　have　not　built　up　standards　of　thought；　mood　and　act；　demonstrate　in　a　remarkable　manner　the　dependence　of　their　character　upon　health。　A　child　shows　the　onset　of　an　illness　by　a　complete　change　in　character。　I　remember　one　sociable；　amiable　lad　of　two；　rich　in　the　curiosity　and　expanding　friendliness　of　that　time　of　life；　who　became　sick　with　diphtheria。　All　his　basic　moods　became　altered；　and　all　his　wholesome　reactions　to　life　disappeared。　He　was　cross　and　contrary；　he　had　no　interest　in　people　or　in　things；　he　acted　very　much　as　do　those　patients　in　an　insane　hospital　who　suffer　from　Dementia　Praecox。　What　is　character　if　it　is　not　interest　and　curiosity；　friendliness　and　love；　obedience　and　trust；　cheerfulness　and　courage？　Yet　a　sick　child；　especially　if　very　young；　loses　all　these　and　takes　on　the　reverse　characters。　The　little　lad　spoken　of　became　〃himself〃　again　when　the　fever　and　the　pain　lifted。　Yet　for　a　long　time　afterward　he　showed　a　greater　liability　to　fear　than　before；　and　it　was　not　until　six　months　or　more　had　repaired　the　more　subtle　damage　to　his　organism　that　he　became　the　hardy　little　adventurer　in　life　that　he　had　been　before　the　illness。　There　is　plenty　of　chemical　proof　of　this　thesis　as　here　set　forth。　Men　have　from　time　immemorial　put　things　〃in　their　bellies　to　steal　their　brains　away。〃　The　chemical　substance　known　as　ethyl　alcohol　has　been　an　artificial　basis　of　good　fellowship　the　world　over；　as　well　as　furnishing　a　very　fair　share　of　the　tragedy；　the　misery　and　the　humor　of　the　world。　This　is　because；　when　ingested　in　any　amount；　its　absorption　produces　changes　in　the　flow　of　thought；　in　the　attitude　toward　life；　in　the　mood；　the　emotions；　the　purposes；　the　conduct；in　a　word；　in　character。　One　sees　the　austere　man；　when　drunk；　become　ribald；　the　repressed；　close…fisted　become　open…mouthed　and　open…hearted；　the　kindly；　perhaps　brutal；　the　controlled；　uncontrolled。　In　the　change　of　character　it　effects　is　the　regret　over　its　passing　and　the　greatest　reason　for　prohibition。　Alcohol　causes　several　well…defined　mental　diseases　as　well　as　mere　drunkenness。　In　Delirium　Tremens　there　is　an　acute　delirium；　with　confusion；　excitement　and　auditory　and　visual　hallucinations　of　all　kinds。　The　latter　symptom　is　so　prominent　as　to　give　the　reason　for　the　popular　name　of　the　〃snakes。〃　In　alcoholic　hallucinosis　the　patient　has　delusions　of　persecution　and　hears　voices　accusing　him　of　all　kinds　of　wrong…doing。　Very　frequently；　as　all　the　medical　writers　note；　these　voices　are　〃conscience　exteriorized〃；　that　is；　the　voices　say　of　him　just　what　he　has　been　saying　of　himself　in　the　struggle　against　drink。　Then　there　is　Alcoholic　Paranoia；　a　disease　in　which　the　main　change　is　a　delusion　of　jealousy　directed　against　the　mate；　who　is　accused　of　infidelity。　It　is　interesting　that　in　the　last　two　diseases　the　patient　is　〃clear…headed〃；　memory　and　orientation　are　good；　the　patient　speaks　well　and　gives　no　gross　signs　of　his　trouble。　As　the　effects　of　the　alcohol　wear　away；　the　patient　recovers；i。e。；　his　character　returns　to　its　normal。　It　becomes　necessary　at　this　point　to　take　up　a　reverse　side　of　our　study；　namely；　what　is　often　called　the　influence　of　〃mind　over　matter。〃　Such　cures　of　disease　as　seem　to　follow　prayer　and　faith　are　cited；　such　incidents　as　the　great　strength　of　men　under　emotion　or　the　disturbances　of　the　body　by　ideas　are　listed　as　examples。　This　is　not　the　place　to　discuss　cures　by　faith。　It　suffices　to　say　this：　that　in　the　first　place　most　of　such　cures　relate　to　hysteria；　a　disease　we　shall　discuss　later　but　which　is　characterized　by　symptoms　that　appear　and　disappear　like　magic。　I　have　seen　〃cured〃　（and　have　〃cured〃）　such　patients；　affected　with　paralysis；　deafness；　dumbness；　blindness；　etc。；　with　reasoning；　electricity；　bitter　tonics；　fake　electrodes；　hypnotism；　and　in　one　case　by　a　forcible　slap　upon　a　prominent　and　naked　part　of　the　body。　Hysteria　has　been　the　basis　of　many　a　saint's　reputation　and　likewise　has　aided　many　a　physician　into　affluence。　Nor　is　the　effect　of　coincidence　taken　into　account　in　estimating　cures；　whether　by　faith　or　by　drugs。　Many　a　physician　has　owed　his　start　to　the　fact　that　he　was　called　in　on　some　obscure　case　just　when　the　patient　was　on　the　turn　towards　recovery。　He　then　receives　the　credit　that　belonged　to　Nature。　Medical　men　understand　this；that　many　diseases　are　〃self…limited〃　and　pass　through　a　cycle　influenced　but　little　by　treatment。　But　faith　curists　do　not　so　understand；　and　neither　does　the　mass　of　people；　so　that　neither　one　nor　the　other　separates　〃post　hoc〃　from　〃propter　hoc。〃　If　the　truth　were　told；　most　of　the　miracle　and　faith　cures　that　are　not　of　hysterical　origin　are　due　to　coincidence。　Faith　curists　report　in　detail　their　successes；　but　we　have　no　statistics　whatever　of　their　failures。　If　thought　is　a　product　of　the　brain　activated　by　the　rest　of　the　organism；　it　would　be　perfectly　natural　to　expect　that　thought　would　influence　the　organism。　That　thought　is　intimately　associated　with　impulses　to　action　is　well　known。　This　action　largely　takes　place　in　the　speech　muscles　but　also　it　irradiates　into　the　rest　of　the　organism。　Especially　is　this　true　if　the　thought　is　associated　with　some　emotion。　Emotion；　as　we　shall　discuss　it　later；　is　at　least　in　large　part　a　bodily　reaction；　a　disturbance　in　heart；　lungs；　abdominal　organs；　blood　vessels；　sympathetic　nervous　system；　endocrines；　etc。　The　effect　of　thought　and　emotion　upon　the　body；　whether　to　heighten　its　activity　or　to　lower　its　activity；　is；　from　my　point　of　view；　merely　the　effect　of　one　function　of　the　organism　upon　others。　We　are　not　surprised　if　digestion　affects　thinking　and　mood；　and　we　need　not　be　surprised　if　thought　and　mood　disturb　or　improve　digestion。　And　we　may　substitute　for　digestion　any　other　organic　function。　As　a　working　basis；　substantiated　by　the　kind　of　proof　we　use　in　our　daily　lives　in　laboratories　and　machine　shops；　we　may　state　that　mind；　character　and　personality　are　organic　in　their　origin　and　are　functions　of　the　entire　organism。　What　a　man　thinks；　does　and　feels　（or　perhaps　we　should　reverse　this　order）　is　the　result　of　environmental　forces　playing　upon　a　marvelously　intricate　organism　in　which　every　part　reacts　on　every　other　part；　in　which　nervous　energy　influences　digestion　and　digestion　influences　nervous　energy；　in　which　enzymes；　hormones；　and　endocrines　engage　in　an　extraordinary　game　of　checks　and　balance；　which　in　the　normal　course　of　events　make　for　the　individual's　welfare。　What　a　man　thinks；　does；　and　feels　influences　the　fate　of　his　organism　from　one　end　of　life　to　the　other。　We　have　not　adduced　in　favor　of　the　organic　nature　of　mind；　character　and　personality　the　facts　of　heredity。　This　is　a　most　important　set　of　facts；　for　if　the　egg　and　the　sperm　carry　mentality　and　personality；　they　may　be　presumed　to　carry　them　in　some　organic　form；　as　organic　potentialities；　just　as　they　carry　size；＇1＇　color；　sex；　etc。　That　abnormal　mind　is　inherited　is　shown　in　family　insanity　in　the　second；　third　and　fourth　generation　cases　of　mental　disease。　Certain　types　of　feeble…mindedness　surely　are　transmitted　from　generation　to　generation；　as　witness　the　case　of　the　famous　（or　infamous）　Jukes　family。　In　this　group　vagabondage；　crime；　immorality　and　other　character　abnormalities　appeared　linked　with　the　feeble…mindedness。　But　there　is　plenty　of　evidence　to　show　that　normal　character　qualities　are　inherited　as　well　as　the　abnormal。＇2＇　Galton；　the　father　of　eugenics；　collected　facts　from　the　history　of　successful　families　to　prove　this。　It　is　true　that　he　failed　to　take　into　account　the　facts　of　SOCIAL　heredity；　in　that　a　gifted　man　establishes　a　place　for　himself　and　a　tradition　for　his　family　that　is　of　great　help　to　his　son。　Nevertheless；　musical　ability　runs　in　families　and　races；　as　does　athletic　ability；　high　temper；　passion；　etc。　In　short；　at　least　the　potentialities；　the　capacities　for　character；　are　transmitted　together　with　other　qualities　as　part　of　the　capital　of　heredity。　＇1＇　I　have　collected　and　published　from　the　records　and　wards　of　the　State　Hospital　at　Taunton；　Mass。；　many　such　cases。　The　whole　subject　is　to　be　reviewed　in　a　following　book　on　the　transmission　of　mental　disease；　but　no　one　seriously　doubts　that　there　is　a　transference　of　〃insane〃　character　from　generation　to　generation。　In　fact；　I　believe　that　a　little　too　much　stress　hag　been　laid　on　this　aspect　of　mental　disease　and　not　enough　on　the　fact　that　sickness　may　injure　a　family　stock　and　cause　the　descendants　to　be　insane。　Any　one　who　has　seen　a　single　case　of　congenital　General　Paresis；　where　a　child　has　a　mental　disease　due　to　the　syphilis　of　a　parent；　and　can　doubt　that　character　and　mind　are　organic；　simply　is　blinded　by　theological　or　metaphysical　prejudice。　＇2＇　See　his　book　〃Genius。〃

This　means　that　in　studying　character　and　personality；　we　must　start　with　an　analysis　of　the　physical　make…up　of　the　individual。　We　are　not　yet　at　the　point　in　science　where　we　can　easily　get　at　the　activities　of　the　endocrinal　glands　in　normal　mentality。　We　are　able　to　recognize　certain　fundamental　types；　but　more　we　cannot　do；　nor　are　we　able　to　measure　nervous　energy　except　in　relatively　crude　ways；　but　these　crude　ways　have　great　value　under　certain　conditions。　When　there　has　been　a　change　in　personality；　the　question　of　bodily　disease　is　always　paramount。　The　first　questions　to　be　asked　under　such　circumstances　are；　〃Is　this　person　sick？〃　〃Is　the　brain　involved？〃　〃Are　endocrinal　glands　involved？〃　〃Is　there　disease　of　some　organ　of　the　body；　acting　to　lower　the　feeling　of　well…being；　acting　to　slacken　the　purposes　and　the　will　or　to　obscure　the　intelligence？〃　There　are　other　important　questions　of　this　type　to　answer；　some　of　which　may　be　deferred　for　the　time。　Meanwhile；　the　next　equally　fundamental　thesis　is　on　the　effect　of　the　environment　upon　mind；　character　and　personality。

CHAPTER　II。　THE　ENVIRONMENTAL　BASIS　OF　C