[Enclosure]³

When a man stands before a fire & his face redden,— does the heat act directly on the nerves or muscles of the capillaries— or do centripetal nerves transmit some effect from the heat on the surface, to the vaso-motor ganglia, & these by reflex action cause the capillaries to dilate?— If this latter contingency be the true one, & the sympathetic nerves of the face were cut before they entered any ganglia, the face would not redden before the fire, or conversely grow pale from cold.—

Secondly: if we think of any part of our body, we become conscious of its existence; & if we think intentely on it odd sensations (Sir H. Holland) are then felt this then may be muscular;⁴ but its path appear that some direct effect is often & thus locally produced, as in the case of glands & the uterus in the sharpening of the senses &c.— In other cases, where glands are not concerned Can it be supposed in that effect as produced by closer attention to that part extending through the vaso-motor ganglia, modifying the capillary circulation of the spot? In the case of glands I infer from I from Pagets writing that nerve power probably acts directly on the scaly cells, as well as on the capillary circulation.—⁵ Now, & this is my special query when I think intently on for [instance] the top of my little finger, & become conscious of its existence physiologists believe that some power is sent along the nerves to their point; & if so pray what sort of nerves? It seems at first a rash view that my attention being directed to my little finger may stimulate some part of my sensorium & make it pass sensations along away from little finger but at other times unnoticed; but such a view does not seem compatible with [2 words illeg] effects being produced by the mind’s attention on other parts & organs