A visitor's remarks upon the venerable statesman, John Q. Adams, then 81 years of age, appear appropriate to our subject.

"I found him," he says, "much reduced in strength and activity, from what he was a year ago, before the alarming illness he had last Fall. He was also much overcome by the heat, which was quite severe at the time. But his general health is comfortable, his spirits cheerful, and his intellectual powers bright and vigorous. He has a great deal of company, being an object of such wide-spread interest both to our own countrymen and to foreigners. His memory of historical events, which has always been so remarkable a feature of his mind, is apparently as minute and exact as it ever was. Nor is his familiarity with passing events apparently diminished, though he himself observes that there are now but few classes of occurrences that attract his attention sufficiently to fasten themselves in his memory"

Another reason why early impressions are better remembered, is, because the mind instinctively reverts from scenes of age to youth, when the whole constitution was better fitted for the enjoyment of existence. In reflecting upon those periods, the individual experiences more happiness than by turning the mind upon scenes to which the hand of time has set the price of experience.

"Even so in sweet treachery, dealeth the aged with himself,

"He gazeth on the green hill-tops, while the marshes beneath are hidden,

"And the partial telescope of memory pierceth the blank between,

"To look with lingering love at the fair star of childhood."

A short time since, when in attendance upon my aged mother, whose mental state was, to all appearance, the counterpart of a shattered and nearly worn-out physical constitution, - both the mere shadow of a past reality - we endeavored during a paroxysm of apathy, to arouse her attention or memory by directing her mind upon various topics, but without success, when I inquired whether she remembered the time when I was weaned, a period of over thirty years since. Her haggard and apathetic expression at once changed, as though afresh gleam of light and joy had broken in upon her soul. Her ready reply was, "I well remember that time," and for the instant, intelligence again beamed in her countenance, though, through wasted physical powers, the external manifestation was quickly obliterated; whether it as suddenly vanished from her mind is even beyond conjecture.

8*

Dr. Thomas Brown says, that "memory, judgment, and imagination, may be put to sleep with opium." Now, in our opinion, this doctrine is erroneous, and the error arises from the fact, that on awaking from the narcotic torpor, there is no remembrance of thought during its continuance. The sleep induced by opium, although to all appearance profound, is nevertheless followed by great mental and bodily fatigue. If the dose is insufficient to cause an obliteration of external sensation, the mental activity is not only augmented, but is remembered, and much weariness is experienced on recovery; and when the quantity is adequate to produce sound sleep, the mind runs on at a still more rapid rate; for upon resuscitation, the exhaustion is great in proportion to the degree of sleep induced.

In sound sleep, consciousness and memory are suspended, so far as regards external relation; but the weariness and exhaustion which follow the torpor induced by opium, are irrefutable evidence that Dr. Brown's conclusion is erroneous, for without undue cerebral excitement, the mind and body would have emerged from its influence refreshed, instead of being enfeebled.

During sleep, memory may be inactive from absence of external stimuli, and the judgment deranged through the operation of sensations unconnected with outward relations ; but the imagination is often stimulated into its wildest fancies by the former, while the restraining influence of the latter is withheld. All the mental faculties are modified in their activity by sleep, because by it a different relation is established. When the mind is sound and the body awake, impressions from without have the controlling influence; but when asleep, the intellectual operations are stimulated by internal influences, or impressions from the affections or feelings - consequently, a different result must be expected.

It appears at least probable, that intellectual operations induced by internal causes, are not, under any circumstances, the objects of memory to so great a degree as those produced by external objects. Certain it is that during that stage of sleep in which the external senses are in abeyance, we know that, from internal causes, there is excessive action in the mental organ, without leaving any impression upon the memory. For example, we refer to voluptuous orgasms in sleep, in which, should the excitement be so exalted as to arouse any of the senses, memory retains the circumstance as a dream; but when the exaltation does not reach that pitch, the mind has treasured nothing of the occurrence. Yet in such instances, the evacuation is incontestable evidence that mental action did exist, and that the mind was not asleep. Vigorous activity of a propensity or sentiment will stimulate the intellectual faculties to originate mental pictures to gratify the original desire; and in these cases the mental operations are not only diversified, but intense - involving the greater part of the mental powers.

In the Medical Repository for January, 1816, there is a remarkable case of double consciousness, and one of the very few instances recorded as such, that bear its diagnostics. To some it may possibly present an objection to our views, and therefore we copy it.

"When I was employed," says Dr. Mitchell, "early in December, 1815, with several other gentlemen, in doing the duty of a visitor to the United States Military Academy at West Point, a very extraordinary case of double consciousness in a woman, was related to me by one of the professors. Major Elicott, who so worthily occupies the mathematical chair in that seminary, vouched for the correctness of the following narrative, the subject of which is related to him by blood, and an inhabitant of one of the western counties of Pennsylvania: - Miss N - possessed, naturally, a very good constitution, and arrived at adult age, without having it impaired by disease. She possessed an excellent capacity, and enjoyed fair opportunities to acquire knowledge. Besides the domestic arts and social attainments, she had improved her mind by reading and conversation, and was well versed in penmanship. Her memory was capacious, and stored with a copious stock of ideas. Unexpectedly, and without any forewarning, she fell into a profound sleep, which continued several hours beyond the ordinary term. On waking she was discovered to have lost every trace of acquired knowledge. Her memory was a tabula rasa, - all vestiges, both of words and things, were obliterated and gone. It was found necessary for her to learn everything again. She even acquired, by new efforts, the art of spelling, reading, writing, and calculating, and gradually became acquainted with the persons and objects around, like a being for the first time brought into the world. In these exercises she made considerable proficiency. But, after a few months, another fit of somnolency invaded her. On rousing from it, she found herself restored to the state she was in before the first paroxysm; but was wholly ignorant of every event and occurrence that had befallen her afterwards. The former condition of her existence she now calls the old state, and the latter the new state; and she is as unconscious of her double character, as two distinct persons are of their respective natures. For example, in her old state, she possesses all her original knowledge; in her new state, only what she has acquired since. If a gentleman or lady be introduced to her in the old state, and vice versa (and so of all other matters), to know them satisfactorily, she must learn them in both states. In the old state, she possesses fine powers of penmanship, while in the new, she writes a poor, awkward hand, not having had time or means of becoming expert. During four years and upwards, she has undergone periodical transitions from one of these states to the other. The alternations are always consequent upon a long and sound sleep. Both the lady and her family are now capable of conducting the affair without embarrassment. By simply knowing whether she is in the old or new state, they regulate the intercourse, and govern themselves accordingly." In this case of double consciousness, the mind was impressed in. both states through external sensation, and from this circumstance, she should have retained that which occurred in either state at any time; but although this was not the fact, still whatever was impressed during either the old or new state, was readily recollected when the corresponding state returned, and there being no connexion between the states, there is nothing to invalidate our theory, because this is an instance in which the change extended indiscriminately to all the mental powers. Memory itself was involved in the derangement, and therefore we find a perfect duality of identity.