The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English: or, Medicine Simplified, 54th ed., One Million, Six Hundred; and Fifty Thousand — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English: or, Medicine Simplified, 54th ed., One Million, Six Hundred; and Fifty Thousand
John Stuart Mill · en
All of these lower psychical faculties have a physiological
significance. Acquisitiveness functionally expresses assimilation,
accretion, animal growth, and tends to bodily repletion. Secretiveness
expresses concealing, separating, withdrawing, and functionally
signifies secretive action. Secretion is the separating and withdrawing
from the blood some of its constituents, as mucus, bile, saliva, etc.
This latter process indicates complex conditions of organization, so
that the higher and more complex the tissue, the greater the number of
secretory organs. Unrestrained selfishness, while it naturally conserves
the individual interests, in its ultimate tendencies, is the very
essence of human depravity. Without qualification, clearly, it is crime,
for blind devotion to the individual must be in utter disregard for the
good of others. The ultimate tendencies of these faculties are,
therefore, criminal.
Exaggerate the faculty of acquisitiveness, and it becomes
avariciousness. Develop secretiveness and selfishness, and they become
cunning and profligacy, desperation and crime. Their functional
development tends to produce physical disorder and violent disease. All
of these faculties are vehement, contentious, thriving by opposition.
Life itself has been called a forced state, because it wars with the
elements it appropriates, and transmutes their powers into vitality.
[Illustration: Fig. 86.]
We find men and women of this temperament, who are models of character
and organization. George Washington is an excellent illustration. The
impression that his presence made upon the Marquis de Chastellux, is
given in the following words: "I wish only to express the impression
General Washington has left on my mind; the idea of a perfect whole,
brave without temerity, laborious without ambition, generous without
prodigality, noble without pride, virtuous without severity." Gen.
Scott, Lord Cornwallis, Dr. Wistar, Bishop Soule John Bright, Jenny Lind
Goldsmidt, and Dr. Gall are good representatives of this temperament.
Fig. 86 is an excellent illustration of it, finely blended and well
balanced, in the person of Madame de Stael. This temperament requires
fewer tonics and stimulants than the lymphatic. This constitution is
best able to restore vital losses. It is a vital temperament, in other
words, it combines favorably with all the others, and better adapts
itself to their various conditions. Some regard it as the best adjusted
one in all its organs and tissues, and as the most satisfactory and
serviceable.
[Illustration: Fig. 87.]