Zoonomia; Or, the Laws of Organic Life, Vol. I

by Erasmus Darwin

[11]. Catenated trains or tribes of action are easier dissevered than catenated circles of action. Hence in epileptic fits the synchronous connected tribes of action, which keep the body erect, are dissevered, but the circle of vital motions continues undisturbed.

[12]. Sleep destroys the power of volition, and precludes the stimuli of external objects, and thence dissevers the trains, of which these are a part; which confirms the other catenations, as those of the vital motions, secretions, and absorptions; and produces the new trains of ideas, which constitute our dreams.

[II]. [1]. All the preceding circumstances of the catenations of animal motions will be more clearly understood by the following example of a person learning music; and when we recollect the variety of mechanic arts, which are performed by associated trains of muscular actions catenated with the effects they produce, as in knitting, netting, weaving; and the greater variety of associated trains of ideas caused or catenated by volitions or sensations, as in our hourly modes of reasoning, or imagining, or recollecting, we shall gain some idea of the innumerable catenated trains and circles of action, which form the tenor of our lives, and which began, and will only cease entirely with them.

[2]. When a young lady begins to learn music, she voluntarily applies herself to the characters of her music-book, and by many repetitions endeavours to catenate them with the proportions of sound, of which they are symbols. The ideas excited by the musical characters are slowly connected with the keys of the harpsichord, and much effort is necessary to produce every note with the proper finger, and in its due place and time; till at length a train of voluntary exertions becomes catenated with certain irritations. As the various notes by frequent repetitions become connected in the order, in which they are produced, a new catenation of sensitive exertions becomes mixed with the voluntary ones above described; and not only the musical symbols of crotchets and quavers, but the auditory notes and tones at the same time, become so many successive or synchronous links in this circle of catenated actions.

At length the motions of her fingers become catenated with the musical characters; and these no sooner strike the eye, than the finger presses down the key without any voluntary attention between them; the activity of the hand being connected with the irritation of the figure or place of the musical symbol on the retina; till at length by frequent repetitions of the same tune the movements of her fingers in playing, and the muscles of the larynx in singing, become associated with each other, and form part of those intricate trains and circles of catenated motions, according with the second article of the preceding propositions in No. [1]. of this Section.

[3]. Besides the facility, which by habit attends the execution of this musical performance, a curious circumstance occurs, which is, that when our young musician has began a tune, she finds herself inclined to continue it; and that even when she is carelessly singing alone without attending to her own song; according with the third preceding article.

[4]. At the same time that our young performer continues to play with great exactness this accustomed tune, she can bend her mind, and that intensely, on some other object, according with the fourth article of the preceding proportions.

The manuscript copy of this work was lent to many of my friends at different times for the purpose of gaining their opinions and criticisms on many parts of it, and I found the following anecdote written with a pencil opposite to this page, but am not certain by whom. "I remember seeing the pretty young actress, who succeeded Mrs. Arne in the performance of the celebrated Padlock, rehearse the musical parts at her harpsichord under the eye of her master with great taste and accuracy; though I observed her countenance full of emotion, which I could not account for; at last she suddenly burst into tears; for she had all this time been eyeing a beloved canary bird, suffering great agonies, which at that instant fell dead from its perch."

[5]. At the same time many other catenated circles of action are going on in the person of our fair musician, as well as the motions of her fingers, such as the vital motions, respiration, the movements of her eyes and eyelids, and of the intricate muscles of vocality, according with the fifth preceding article.

[6]. If by any strong impression on the mind of our fair musician she should be interrupted for a very inconsiderable time, she can still continue her performance, according to the sixth article.