healthy development, and that of the other portions of the system : wherefore, they ought not to be diverted, by serious study, to any other purpose. In early infancy, indeed, as well as afterwards, exercise is essential to the health of the brain, but this should be the general and pleasurable exercise of observation and action; it ought not to be the compulsory exercise of tasks. Early prodigies of mind rarely attain mature distinction; because, in such instances, the brain was injured by premature exertion, and the general health impaired.

Dr. Caldwell is not an advocate for "Infant Schools ;" and it is his opinion that, unless they are conducted with great discretion, they cannot fail to "eventuate in mischief." Instead of confining infants to inaction in crowded school-rooms, with saddened looks, moist eyes, and aching heads, he would send them into gardens and lawns, groves and pleasure-grounds, where we should meet them breathing pure air, leaping, laughing, shouting, cropping flowers, pursuing butterflies, collecting and looking at curious and beautiful stones, shells, and insects, listening to the songs of birds, singing themselves, admiring the bright blue arch of the heavens, or gazing at the thickening folds of the thunder-cloud, and doing all other things fitted to promote health, develope and strengthen their frames, and prepare them for the graver business of after life; and, instead of pale faces, flaccid flesh, and wasted bodies, we should find them with ruddy cheeks, firm muscles, and with full and wellformed limbs. Mr. Cox, the Doctor's intelligent and discriminating annotator, entertains very different views regarding infant schools and their practical advantages. With respect to the training of infants, he observes, we ought to look not only to what is desirable, but to what is practicable. Were gardens and lawns, groves and pleasure grounds, within the reach of the generality of young chil dren residing in large and crowded cities, it might be said, with some shew of reason, that most of their time ought to be spent in such places. But the case being otherwise, the best substitute for them must be resorted to; and that substitute, Mr. Cox feels convinced, is a rationally conducted infant school: he even holds such a school to be far superior to the open fields, as a place of habitual resort for children. He distinguishes the institutions of Owen and Wilderspin with his perfect approbation. In them, the chief attention is devoted to physical education: for this purpose, there is a large play-ground, to which the children are dismissed at short intervals; and there they are found breathing wholesome air, leaping, laughing, and shouting, as much as Dr. Caldwell himself could

desire. Even within doors, bodily motion, singing, and shouting, are regularly practised; lessons form a very subordinate part of their employment; they do little else than exercise the brain in the salutary and pleasurable offices of observation and action. The consequence is, that the children thus trained in accordance with the laws of nature thrive and are happy, and, instead of loathing school, look forward with eagerness to the time of returning to it, and cry if detained at home. Attendance at such schools possesses a great superiority over roaming at large in the fields, in the rule which keeps the pupils always under the eye of their teacher, who trains them to moral habits, fixes moral maxims in their minds, and instantly checks and points out the impropriety of any selfish or vi cious act. In this way the mind is made obedient to discipline and pliant to reason; a result which could not be easily obtained if the children were allowed to spend their time in fields, without efficient superintendence. The cultivation of the moral faculties is most important, and where there is an assemblage of children it can be effected only under the guidance of a well-qualified teacher. Moreover, it is a safe principle in education that whatever is productive of misery and, though rationally taught, requires to be forced upon young pupils, is at variance with the dictates of nature. The attention of children ought to be claimed to those subjects exclusively for which the mental faculties developed at their age are adapted; and the little beings ought never to be tormented with abstract studies which fall within the sphere of powers not unfolded till a later period of life.

Dr. Caldwell judiciously observes, that of the sets of organs of which the human body is composed, some are so predominant in their influence as to assimilate the condition of the rest to their own. They also exercise a powerful influence over one another: thus, if one of them be deranged, it deranges the others; and, if any one of them be healthy and vigorous, the soundness of the rest may be considered, on that account, as the more secure. In executing the task of physical education, therefore, it is essentially necessary so to watch and regulate them as to keep them unimpaired. "These predominating organs are, the skin; the digestive system, composed of the stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines, and lacteals; the bloodmaking and blood-circulating system, made up of the heart, bloodvessels, and lungs; and the nervous system, comprising the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The muscular system is also important, not only in itself, but as contributing, by its functions, to the perfection of the other organs. As an aggregate, therefore, physical

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education consists in the proper management of these several sets of organs: train them in the best manner, and to the highest pitch, and the individual has arrived at his greatest attainable perfection.

Having treated of the other influential organs, Dr. C. proceeds to make the physical education of the brain the subject of some most important remarks. Like all other parts of the animated system, he says, the brain is enlarged, invigorated, and rendered more dexterous in action, by suitable and well-regulated exercise; and by this also it is improved, in every respect, as the organ of the mind. As is the case with other organs, the brain may be exhausted and injured by too much, and enfeebled by too little, action; for it should never be forgotten or neglected as a practical truth, that as action strengthens and improves living matter, so inaction deteriorates and weakens it. This is one of the elementary principles by which physical education ought to be directed; indeed, it constitutes its foundation.

According to Dr. C, the brain is not a simple, but a compound organ; it is an aggregate of many smaller organs, distinct from each other, yet closely linked in their condition by sympathy: hence, the soundness of one of them aids in giving soundness to the rest, and the converse. Being the instruments of separate mental faculties, these organs are destined to the performance of separate functions, no one of them being able to perform any other function than its own; as the eye sees but cannot hear, and the ear hears, but can neither taste nor smell. As these organs, which unite in making up the cerebral mass, execute different descriptions of work, so can they work at different times, some of them being active while others are at rest; and in this they resemble the external senses, for the ear may be impressed with sound while the eyes are closed, and the sense of smell may be active while that of touch is dormant. Moreover, like those of the external senses, the cerebral organs are excited to action by different objects and kinds of im pression thus, the eye is acted upon by light alone, the ear by sound, and the organs of smell, taste, and touch, by odorous, sapid, and tangible matter. In like manner, one cerebral organ is acted upon and exercised by attachment, another by resentment, another by justice, another by benevolence, another by the religious sentiment, another by music, another by colours, another by objects and events, and so on; while each organ can be acted on and exercised only by things whereof the perception constitutes its exclusive and appropriate function.

Dr. C. represents the human brain as consisting of three com

partments, which include the organs of the animal, the moral, and the intellectual faculties; and, he observes, to raise the mental character to the highest perfection, each of those organs which are instruments of the mind must be large, well-organized, and healthy, and a correct balance must subsist between them. Inasmuch as the mind's organic instruments are perfect, in so much will the mental operations be proper and excellent: with bad or imperfect instruments, the hand of Praxiteles could not have earned for the artist the well-merited meed of immortality. In expatiating further on the brain and its physical education, Dr. C. indulges in some speculations not unaffected with the exclusive perceptions of enthusiasm. "To a solid," he says, "and infallible foundation for strength and activity of intellect, sound morality, and energy of character, nothing else (besides a large, well-organized, healthy, and right-proportioned brain) is necessary. Skilful 'training, by turning to the proper account these high gifts of nature, and in that way ingrafting improvement on capacity, will finish the work." This is the eloquent Doctor's very limited view of the work which is "to raise the mental character to the highest perfection." Man, 'tis true, can "work" on the brain; but this, at best, is merely the mind's instrument, alike imperfect and perishable: he knows nothing whatever of the mind's essence; and of the precise modes whereby it operates through the brain, as its organ, he is altogether ignorant. Far otherwise, however, is it with the All-mighty and All-wise Being who created the mind, and knows perfectly the elements of its constitution, and the extent of its powers: HE alone can "work" on the mind as mind; and that He does "work" on the immortal mind of man by divine and spiritual influences, is a fact whereof the probability is deducible from the manifestations of His essential attributes, and the actuality of which is demonstrable by the experience of devout and intelligent persons. Dr. C. continues his observations, and says "Were the whole human race thus happily tempered, the condition of man would be as perfect as it could be rendered, and the state of society correspondingly prosperous talent and knowledge would prevail and be respected, morality and active virtue would predominate over profligacy and vice, and that every one should be happy in himself and useful to others, would be the ambition and earnest endeavour of all: and, he adds, this would be a millenium brought into existence by means of education, and in conformity to the constitution of human nature; and let that state of improved brain occur when it may, the perfect organization of man, more especially of his brain, will constitute its basis. Here

the doctor takes a necessary precaution not to be misunderstood in making this assertion; and, in an especial manner, he disclaims all intention of offering by it any irreverence toward the Christian religion. He might have added, with a view to prevent misconstruction, that as in this world the mind and brain are correlative and coefficient, so the former, which may be reckoned a self-expansive essence, is inherently and necessarily prone to approximate perfection in activity and power, to the utmost degree whereof its organs in the brain are, by nature or education, qualified to be the mere physical instruments. We should not say that a large and energetic brain makes the mind comprehensive and vigorous: it would be better to conclude that the mind is ever able to use rightly the best brain wherewith it may be placed in a state of coexistence. As the work of an artist is affected by the quality of his instruments, so are the mind's operations affected by the quality of the cerebral instruments wherewith the mind performs its operations. The Doctor's meaning is, that whatever agency, divine or human, may bring about in man the change productive of a millenial condition, that change will consist in an improved organization—an organization made perfect by influence from above, or by education, perfect in its principles and suitably administered. Come, however, the amending power from what quarter it may-and before men can be fit members of a millenial state-they must have the fine organization of John, the beloved disciple, rather than that of Judas, which rendered him no less unsightly than treacherous. In the mean time, he concludes, it is our duty, both as moralists and christians, to make, by human means, as near an approach as practicable to millenial perfection; and an approach of great value to our race can be made by a well-concerted and well-administered scheme of education.

Dr. Caldwell next proposes, answers, and illustrates the question, Can the organs of the brain be increased in size, as well as rendered more adroit and vigorous in action by any process of training? His answer is,-Yes, with as much certainty as the muscles of the extremities can be increased in size, provided the process be commenced in childhood. On this principle depends the perfectibility of man; he means the susceptibility of the highest improvement compatable with the laws imposed on the human nature. As regards augmentation and diminution, power and weakness, the brain is governed by the same laws which regulate other portions of organic matDr. C., however, does not say that it can be increased in bulk, by exercise, as much as muscles; but that it can be increased as

ter.