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THE MEMORY TRAINED THROUGH MENTAL CULTIVATION.

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of the other also. Suggestion, on the other hand, implies no necessary or natural connexion with another idea, although it serves to direct attention towards it, and constitutes a sort of guide-post to lead the way to it. Thus, for instance, planting words in the memory, or memory of language, appears to be effected mainly by creating in the mind associations of ideas with the idea of each word through which the latter may be recalled; as also by remembering the sound that the word produces when spoken; in addition to which there is also the ordinary mode of remembering words from merely hearing or seeing them constantly repeated.

But, although ideas are very often recalled into the mind in consequence of their connexion or association with those already there; yet it does not thence follow, as some metaphysicians appear to have inferred, that every effort of memory is entirely and solely dependent on this circumstance. If so, it would indeed be a purely and entirely passive power; whereas, as I have demonstrated, it consists of two distinct and independent powers, the one active, and the other passive.

It may be concluded, therefore, from what has been premised, that the association together of ideas has a great tendency to preserve them in the retention. This, as it were, unites them together by their relations, so that they can never be entirely disengaged from their hold. Each idea is thus connected with several more; and as long as one of them is retained in the memory, the others can never be wholly forgotten.

It is only however with regard to minor matters, that the aid of association and suggestion is found serviceable in retaining ideas, and in recalling them into the mind; inasmuch as subjects of leading importance present themselves to us, and are retained, and recalled into the memory, without such help. Topics moreover of this class, by means of association and suggestion, will often have the effect of retaining and recalling ideas relating to those of minor consequence with which they are connected.

7. Improvement of the Memory by Education and Exercise.

The memory, like every other power of the mind, is to a large extent improvable by being subjected to a proper course of education and training, and by being duly exercised in the various operations of which it is capable. Indeed, not only is this the case, but it is more or less absolutely dependent upon this circumstance for its full development. Both the power of retention, and that of recollection, are alike benefited by this

means, which renders the one more powerful and more clear, and the other more ready and more active.

Thus, according as it is exerted and becomes accustomed to various exercises, the retention acquires vigour in retaining the ideas engraven upon it, whose characters moreover become more forcible and clear. The strength of memory exhibited by some persons who have duly trained and cultivated their retentive powers, appears prodigious; but of cases of this kind we have less experience since the use of artificial aids, more especially through writing and printing, have become so commonly availed of. What is called learning by rote, in which the memories of young people are occasionally exercised, is a mode of training and strengthening the retention.

The recollection, however, equally with the retention, is improvable by education. By this means, not only, as already stated, are the readiness and celerity with which it is able to recall ideas, much increased, but the control over the memory is considerably extended; and it thereby also learns to apply with the utmost advantage, the various artificial aids already alluded to.

The memory moreover, as regards both its powers, is to a great degree dependent on the various capacities of the mind, and, as a consequence of this, on their particular condition and cultivation, especially on those of the understanding; the aid and operation of which as regards the memory, I have already described, and the general improvement of which by education, will be considered in a subsequent chapter. The character of the memory seems, indeed, not only to improve, but to vary, with the general education of the mind. Thus, savages and uneducated people retain ideas of sensible objects, and of sensations also, much more forcibly than educated persons do; while the latter alone retain ideas of abstract subjects, correctly and vividly, in their memories. Not only however is the memory dependent on the condition of the mind for its own energy, vigour, and activity; but the condition of the body as well exercises an important influence, and that in various ways, upon the state of the memory, as I shall point out in the next section, when we consider how far diseases of the material frame extend to, and affect the memory.

As regards the mode in which the memory is improved by use, the extent to which it becomes invigorated by exercise, and the manner in which one process aids another; these results are exhibited upon various occasions, whether the subject be of an abstract or of a sensorial nature. Thus, in learning a language in which memory is the chief aid, although understanding and reason also assist, we gradually, and step by step, gain a knowledge of it, much as we do a knowledge of the people in a town or country which is new to us; the remem

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brance of the faces of the principal of them being by degrees obtained, as are the words most in use in the language we are acquiring. By-and-by, we also become acquainted with and remember their different characters and pursuits, and all the particular circumstances connected with them; just as we do the nature and application of the words and idioms in the new language.

The manner in which the memory is improved by exercise, is moreover exhibited in the case of language, and by our mode of forgetting it as well as by our mode of learning it. Thus, by neglect to recur to them, and to revive them in the retention, we by degrees, but nevertheless speedily, forget the different words and terms, and also the mode of using them, until they grow fainter and fainter, the impressions gradually vanishing, at length no traces of their existence being left behind, even though ideas closely connected with them are recalled to the mind. This we find to be especially the fact as regards any particular language which we learnt in our youth, but of which we have discontinued the use.

What might be termed and considered as the direct education of the memory, is perhaps most effectively and completely promoted by that of the understanding, so far as it is attainable or practicable by any appliances for this purpose, either natural or artificial. Whatever indeed educates the understanding, educates also the memory. The retention is mainly improved by the cultivation, the recollection by the discipline of this faculty. The understanding cannot possibly be in good order unless the memory is so; and, whatever improves the memory, in turn improves the understanding too.

The understanding, moreover, cannot be properly supplied with ideas, unless the memory is well stored; and the memory cannot be well stored, unless the understanding is properly supplied. So also general exercise is directly improving to the memory, as it is to the understanding also.

The development of the memory appears to take place later than that of the capacity of apprehension, but before that of the faculties of reason and genius; and possibly, contemporaneously with that of the capacities of deprehension and comprehension. As far as we memory whatever; and in infants it must be very weak and can judge, a foetus has no limited, inasmuch, as already observed, persons are never able in the least to recollect any of the events which happened during their earliest childhood, although these are attended by every circumstance calculated in the highest degree to impress them upon the memory. Its development seems however to be very rapid when it once commences, as children who

9 Vide post, c. vii. s. 4.

VOL. II.

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remember at all, remember very vividly.' When the apprehension is first exercised, ideas are not communicated to the memory, and this capacity does little more than accustom itself to take in ideas.

As a general rule, a state of civilization is far more favourable to the development of the memory, than is one of barbarity. It has been remarked, however, that with one kind of memory, that of places, savages appear to be more extensively endowed than are civilized people. Probably, as regards material objects of whatever kind, this is the case; while with regard to ordinary memory, they are deficient. The reason of this I should infer to be, that their attention is mainly directed to local and material objects, and thus memory of this kind alone is exercised; while memory of abstract matters is neglected, and is not in consequence cultivated or developed. Among civilized men, local and material memory is less brought into use than is that of objects and subjects in general. It is not indeed so much in either case that a particular kind of memory is either cultivated or neglected, as that the sphere of the operations of memory is contracted or enlarged, and its exercise within that sphere is extensive or limited accordingly.

8. Defects and Diseases especially incident to the Memory.

In common with every other power, and organ, and member, belonging either to the mind or to the body, the memory is subject to defects, and to diseases, of various kinds; and, as it often happens in each of these cases, not only the causes which produce the one produce also the other, but defects and diseases alike have a mutual influence both to originate and to stimulate each other."

The defects and diseases to which the memory is especially

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According to Aristotle, memory is made by the impression of some image upon the soul. Hence, they who retain not the image and figure of sense, either by continual motion, or excessive humidity, as children, or dryness, as old men, remember not."-Lit. de Memor. et Rem. Chap. i.

"In early infancy, though the impressions received from new objects must be strong, the memory appears to be weak. Many causes may concur in producing this effect. In this period of our existence, almost every object is new, and of course, engrosses the whole attention. Hence, the idea of any particular object is obliterated by the quick succession and novelty of others, joined to the force with which they act upon the mind."-Smellie. Philosophy of Natural History. Chap. vii. p. 203.

Dr. Beddoe tells me, in reply to my inquiry, that, in his opinion, the general condition of the body, especially as to health, extensively affects the memory, and which applies to its power of recalling, as well as of retaining ideas. And that not merely the vigour and activity, but the character also of the memory, are influenced by this circumstance.

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subject, are mainly of three kinds. The first of them is connected with, and is incident to, its power of retention; and consists in a weakness, or want of clearness, in retaining ideas. The second of these defects or diseases consists in a want of facility and readiness in recalling ideas to the memory, and is incident to its power of recollection. To both these defects old people are particularly liable, although they are not confined to persons of this class, and many individuals of mature age seem to be affected by them. The decay however of memory observable in aged persons as regards common events near at hand, exists probably, as already remarked, not in the recollection, but in the retention; which no longer serves readily to catch and retain the impressions made upon it, and has become, as it were, dull and hardened by old age. As in the case of infants, the memory fails to retain ideas, because the corporeal organs necessary for this purpose are not then developed, although memory gradually appears in them, correspondingly with this development; so in the case of old people, the memory fails to retain ideas, because these corporeal organs have become decayed, and it gradually decreases in its retentive power, correspondingly with the progress of that decay."

It is nevertheless a singular feature in the character of the memory, that while the names of persons and places fade from the minds of old people, they do not in the same way forget the persons and places themselves. The reason of this probably is that it is the recollection, not the retention, which is at fault; so that while there is nothing to recall the names, the mere mention of the persons and places of itself occasions their remembrance. On the other hand, the memory appears in youth to possess a peculiar facility for retaining words as well as things; which however it loses in old age, when names are forgotten, although the remembrance of actual objects continues as vivid as ever. It will now and then happen however that we remember the names of persons and places, while we forget, or are unable to recall, the ideas themselves of these persons and places. This is probably owing to some peculiar circumstances connected with the association of these ideas."

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3 Dugald Stewart defines the qualities of a good memory to be:1. Susceptible; 2. Retentive; 3. Ready.—Elements of the Philosophy of Mind. Pt. ii. c. vi. s. 2.

Dr Maudsley refers to the remarkable memories of certain idiots, who, utterly destitute of intelligence, will repeat the longest stories with the greatest accuracy.-Physiology and Pathology of the Mind, p. 15.

5 Mr. Smee remarks with regard to the above passage, that medical men have the matters embraced by it brought before them professionally, "and every variety presents itself. Some, like the late Sir William Lawrence, never forget a name once told him. Now I very rarely forget

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