The reason why : $b a careful collection of many hundreds of reasons for things which, though generally believed, are imperfectly understood. A book of condensed scientific knowledge for the million
John Stuart Mill · en
The curious structure of the tongue, and the organs of speech,
would fill a very interesting volume. The tongue is unfortunately
much abused, not only by those who utter foul words, and convert
the blessing of speech, which should improve and refine, into
a source of wicked and profane language; but it constantly
remonstrates against the abuse of food, and the use of things
which are not only unnecessary for the good of our bodies, but
prejudicial to their health. When the body is sufficiently fed,
the tongue ceases its relish, and derives no more satisfaction
from eating: but man contrives a variety of inventions to whip the
tongue up to an unnatural performance of its duty, and thus we not
only over-eat, but eat things that have no more business in our
stomachs, than have the stones that we walk upon. Can we wonder,
then, that disease is so prevalent, and that death calls for many
of us so soon.
That wonderful essence, the Soul of man, rises above all finite
knowledge. Its wonders and powers will never, probably, be
understood until when, in a future state of existence, the
grandest of all mysteries shall be explained. When we talk of the
brain, we speak of that which it is easy to comprehend as the
organ, or the seat of the mind; when we speak of the mind, we
have greater difficulty in comprehending the meaning of the term
we employ; but when we speak of the Soul, we have reached a point
which defies our understanding, because our knowledge is limited.
The brain may be injured by a blow; the mind may be pained by a
disagreeable sight, or offended by a harsh word; but the Soul
can only be influenced secondarily through the mind, which is
primarily affected by the organs of the material senses. Thus the
happiness or the misery of the Soul depends to a very great extent
upon the proper fulfilment of the duties of the senses, which are
the servants of the Soul, over which the mind presides, as the
steward who mediates between the employer and the employed.