gesting and elaborating food, of moving by
contraction, of reproducing their kind. The nerve-cells are simply a
group which have specialized exclusively upon the power of receiving and
transmitting impulses. They still take food, but it has to be prepared
for them by the other cells; and here, as we shall see later, is one of
the dangers to which they are exposed. They still reproduce their kind,
but in very much smaller and more limited degree. They still, incredible
as it may seem, probably have slight powers of movement or contraction,
and can draw in their processes. But they have surrendered many of their
rights and neglected some of their primitive accomplishments, in order
to devote themselves more exclusively and perfectly to the carrying out
of one or two things.

In spite of all this, however, they still remain blood-brothers and
comrades to every other cell in the body. In the language of Shylock,
"If you cut them, they will bleed; if you tickle them, they will laugh;
if you starve them, they will die." In all this development, which
continued up to a late hour last night, and is still going on, the
nerve-tissue has lain side by side with every other tissue in the body,
fed by the same blood, supplied with the same oxygen, saturated with the
same body-lymph.

It is of course perfectly clear that any influence, whether beneficial
or injurious, affecting the body, will also be likely to affect the
nervous system, as a part of it; and this is precisely the fact, as we
find it. If the body be well fed, well warmed, sufficiently exercised,
without being overworked, and allowed a liberal allowance of that
recharging of the human battery which we call sleep, then the nervous
system will work smoothly and easily, at peace with itself and with all
mankind. Its sense-organs will receive external impressions promptly and
accurately. Its conducting fibres will transmit them to the centre with
neither delay nor friction. The brain clearing-house will receive and
dispose of them with ease and good judgment. And then, just because his
nervous system is working to perfection, we say that such an individual
"has no nerves."

If the triumph of art be to conceal art, then the nerves have achieved
this. They have literally effaced themselves in the well-being of the
body.

If on the other hand, the food-supply is inadequate, if the sleep
allowance has been cut short, whether by the demands of work or by those
of fashion, if