of his pupils upon the organic lesions of the heart, a true epidemic of Hypochondriasis was observed to prevail; the subject of which was in all of them a fear of dying of disease of the heart; and that, when Bayle, on the other hand, drew the earnest attention of his hearers to the consideration of pulmonary consumption, they also became hypochondriacal, and fancied themselves dying of phthisis.* This fact also shews that the affection is truly one of the organ of mind, and not of the subordinate parts of the body, over whose functions the brain is known to preside.

It may, however, be alleged, that many causes which exert no immediate influence on either mind or brain, nevertheless sometimes occasion Hypochondriasis, and it may be thence inferred that its corporeal seat is not cerebral. To this we answer, that there are many indirect causes of this as of every other disease, which, taken alone, throw no light upon its seat. Among these may be reckoned the sudden retrocession of eruptions, the suppression of accustomed evacuations, sedentary life, abuse of spirituous or vinous liquors, &c. all of which are enumerated among the occasional causes of Hypochondriasis, but might with much greater propriety be ranked among those of disease in general, since they act not upon any part in particular, but upon that which is either constitutionally or accidentally the weakest and most susceptible of a morbid change; and as the weak part differs in every individual, hence the variety of diseases to which the same general cause may give rise. The suppression of hemorrhoids, for instance, will in one individual give rise to apoplexy, in another to inflammation of the chest, and in a third to dropsy; but it is perfectly evident that the mere knowledge of hemorrhoids being suppressed is not sufficient to inform us what part is to suffer the consequences. When such general causes, therefore, do produce Hypochondriasis, we can fairly infer, that there must be some weakness or predisposition to

* Falret de l' Hypochondrie, et du Suicide, p. 389.

disease, either natural or superinduced, in that organ in which it has its primary seat; but we cannot infer from them alone what that organ is, or where it is situated.

So far as we have yet advanced, both the physician and physiologist must have gone along with us; but we propose now to go a step further, and to show, by means of the very same principle, hitherto so fruitful in valuable results, that the organ of Cautiousness is the individual part of the brain, an affection of which is alone essential to Hypochondriasis; and here, perhaps, we shall be followed by the Phrenologist alone, since, to those who are unacquainted with Phrenology, the first obstacle still applies in its full force. In point of fact, however, the reasons assignable for this allocation are equal in kind, number, and cogency, to those already assigned for considering it generally as an affection of the brain. Fear, or apprehension of some kind or other, is the only never-failing symptom; and the feeling of fear is manifested by the organ of Cautiousness alone, and therefore ought to become diseased only in consequence of an affection of that organ. Most of the causes too are such as directly stimulate this faculty to its highest degree of intensity; sometimes it is the bodily health which is the subject of apprehension, at other times it is the fear of disgrace, and at other times the suspicion of plots and nefarious designs. These phenomena are beautifully accounted for by the situation of the organ of Cautiousness. Thus, on one side of it, we have the organ of Conscientiousness, the morbid activity of which, combined with that of Cautiousness, gives rise to that form of the disease characterized by remorse and self-condemnation for the most atrocious crimes. On the lower side of it we have the organ of Secretiveness, which, when chiefly affected, gives rise to suspicion, and to the apprehension of plots laid against life or happiness. At its posterior part we find Love of Approbation, which, joined to Cautiousness, gives rise to a third form characterized by the fear of dishonour and disgrace. Not far distant we find also the organ of Acquisitiveness, disease of which,

joined to that of Cautiousness, gives rise to that fear of poverty and ruin which is so often observed to distinguish Hypochondriasis; thus affording a striking confirmation of its peculiar seat.

Supposing it to be principally an affection of the organ of Cautiousness, we also perceive at once how it happens that the intellectual faculties often retain their vigour unimpaired and their functions unaltered, and that the patient is as sensible and rational as ever on any subject unconnected with the ground of his apprehension; and we also see not only the inutility, but the positive mischief, of treating the individual as if his fears were purely imaginary, when his own consciousness tells him so strongly that they are real. But our limits being nearly exhausted, we are obliged to pass on to the last branch of inquiry, and to show that the modus operandi of those remedies which have been most successful in the cure of the disease, affords also the most direct and powerful support to the idea which we entertain of its seat. But here too we must be brief.

The first and most indispensable requisite for curing Hypochondriasis is the discovery and removal of the exciting causes. These we have already seen to be, in general, such as act upon the mind and its material organ, rather than upon the viscera of the abdomen; and it is of no small importance to be aware of this fact, otherwise the exciting cause may inadvertently be left in full activity, and consequently the best devised remedies prove of no avail. In more than one instance, which has come under our own observation, this mistake has actually happened. Tonics, bitters, and exercise, were prescribed, but with little good effect; and the general health suffered severely, until accidental change of circumstances relieved the mind, by removing the cause, and then a cure speedily followed. Which of the two theories of the disease is most likely to lead to the discovery of the true cause we leave the reader to determine from the data already before him.

There is almost no disease in which the aid of medicine has been of less use than in that now under consideration. Lieutaud fairly advises the hypochondriac, as his best remedy, to fly from the physician and from medicine, Fuge medicos et medicamina; and Tissot tells us, "At vero morbus profecto “rebellis et vix curationis capax." Considering, however, the number of cures accomplished by nature alone, and the proof which this affords, that there is no intractable quality inherent in the disease itself, we cannot but suspect that this want of success has arisen very much from an erroneous method of cure, founded on erroneous views of the seat and nature of the disease. If, for example, it is, as we contend, a cerebral affection, and a physician has been accustomed to treat it as stomachic, his want of success is easily accounted for; and, on referring to medical works in general, it will be seen that this has been the case to a considerable extent; and it will also be found that, while solely stomachic remedies were of no use, those which, either intentionally or accidentally, acted upon the mind and brain, were invariably productive of the best effects.

It might be supposed that we should here enter into a discussion of the medical treatment in detail. This, however, neither our limits nor our inclination will permit. We are anxious that every educated person should know enough of the constitution of the human frame, and of the diseases to which it is subject, to enable him more completely to second the intentions of nature in avoiding the causes of disease, and in co-operating in the work of his own restoration, and in the rational treatment of sick friends or dependants; but we are no advocates for dabbling in medicine. The medical remedies for the present disease must obviously be as various as the causes and KIND of morbid action are different, and to adjust their administration to particular cases, therefore, requires that knowledge of the adaptation of remedies to particular states of the system which none but a professional man can attain. The organ affected being the same, and the

functions thereby disordered being also the same, whatever the cause, it is obvious that the prominent symptoms must be the same, and, trusting to these, the unprofessional reader might be apt to prescribe the same treatment for an affection of the organ depending upon an inflammatory as for one depending on a mere nervous excitement, and hence much mischief might be done. This subject we cannot now pursue, and therefore pass on to that part of the treatment which is applicable to every case, since its efficacy depends only on avoiding any injurious stimulus to the part diseased, which may in general be done if we are acquainted with its functions and its relations to external nature.

For example, if Cautiousness and Conscientiousness are the organs chiefly affected, any one who is acquainted with the functions of these and the other phrenological faculties, would not have much difficulty in avoiding every thing calculated to excite these to activity, and to increase the painful remorse and contrition already so hurtful to the patient, or in gently stimulating the other sentiments of Hope, Veneration, Benevolence, and also the intellectual faculties, so as to leave those diseased as much as possible at rest, and to sustain and cheer his mind by opposite emotions. If, again, Secretiveness was joined in diseased activity to Cautiousness, and the patient spent his days and nights in sleepless anxiety and apprehension of conspiracies, the Phrenologist would have no difficulty in avoiding the whole range of these faculties, and in subduing their activity, by leaving them without external objects, and by exciting others to a higher degree. And, in like manner, whatever the diseased feelings are, he would be able to see their scope and to avoid their excitement.

Another advantage which an acquaintance with the philosophy of mind affords, is the facility with which it enables us to avoid many other sources of irritation tending to increase the disease. Thus knowing the intimate connexion and mutual influence existing between the mind and brain, we per