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FUNCTION OF GENERATION. 131
reader sees that here is matter worthy of his or her
attentive and most serious consideration.
The order in which we treat of the three divisions of
this subject may not be very important; but, after what
I have said of the nature of the organic process in plants
and the lower animals, I prefer now to begin with the
higher passional sphere, and descend through manifest
ations and results ; as though, will be seen, in this, as in
all the other functions of man, these are intermingled
and reciprocally act on each other.
The passion of love in our earlier years has what may
be called a rudimentary development. In very young
children we perceive signs of the sexual instinct. It is
naturally shown in a gallant fondness which little boys
have for their mothers, their older sisters, and generally
for the 'female sex. At the same time, little girls have
a peculiar tenderness for their fathers and male friends.
The cerebellum, which Dr. Gall has proved, by many
observations, to be the seat of this passion, is usually
small and immature in childhood, corresponding to the
state of the feeling, and of its special organs ; and it is not
until the age of puberty that all the organs are devel
oped together.
But as there is a rudimental activity in the passional
sphere, there is also, in many cases, some excitement in
the organic. The boy, before he reaches his teens, has
his imagination excited with ideas of sexual pleasure;
and his immature organs partake of this excitement.
If, at this time, he is so unfortunate as to find the means
he runs the risk of forever
of gratifying his propensity,
disordering, or even destroying his virile powers, and,
in the act, of wrecking his whole mental and bodily