1. There is nothing more important regarding Evolution and Dissolution than that they are processes, respectively, of increase and decrease in Compound Order. I have long been possessed by this notion. I gave an example of it (Med. Times and Gaz., Dec. 19, 1868) when stating details of the sequence of spasm in a case of epileptiform fits. It may be that in the sensory sphere Compound Order is analogous to Weber's Law. But speaking of the sensory sphere I would put it as follows, without any attempt at exact quantification: A certain degree of stimulus at the sensory periphery produces no effect (I mean that no sensation ultimately arises), as the stimulus does not overcome the resistance of elements of any lowest sensory centre. A stimulus somewhat stronger produces a very great effect; for being, the supposition is, just sufficiently stronger to overcome the resistance of elements of some lowest sensory centre, there is liberation of a large quantity of energy by those elements, and ultimately a great effect is produced on the highest sensory centres. An increase of the strength of a nervous discharge produces a compound effect. This applies to normal and abnormal discharges of sensory and of motor elements. The principle is exceedingly important with regard to differences in the physical processes during faint and vivid states of object consciousness, ideation and perception for example.
2. I use the term action in a psychical sense; actions are psychical states corresponding to certain movements of the limbs, etc., in the same way as the psychical states words (also actions) correspond to certain complex, etc., movements of the tongue, palate, lips, etc.
3. I speak at present of Dissolution after epileptic fits as being uniform, as if, that is, all the divisions of the highest centres were evenly lowered in function. Yet, I believe that the Dissolution in these cases preponderates in one lateral half of the brain; that there is local Dissolution of the highest centres. I shall rectify the statement made in the text later on.
4. I never use the expressions Evolution and Dissolution of the Mind. It would be convenient perhaps to use them sometimes if one could be sure that they would be taken to imply mere parallelism with Evolution and Dissolution of the highest cerebral centres of the Nervous System.
5. I exclude “crude sensations” such as occur at the onset of epileptic fits.