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  ORGANISM 
  AND 
  MECHANISM 
  

  

  the 
  stoker 
  cease 
  to 
  stoke 
  or 
  if 
  the 
  draught 
  of 
  air 
  be 
  less- 
  

   ened, 
  or 
  in 
  other 
  ways. 
  Similarly, 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  

   body 
  in 
  a 
  ' 
  warm-blooded 
  ' 
  animal 
  is 
  automatically 
  regu- 
  

   lated 
  to 
  a 
  nicety 
  so 
  that, 
  if 
  it 
  exceed 
  the 
  normal 
  even 
  by 
  a 
  

   very 
  little, 
  we 
  know 
  that 
  something 
  is 
  seriously 
  wrong. 
  But 
  

   there 
  are 
  great 
  differences 
  between 
  the 
  organism 
  and 
  the 
  

   furnace. 
  Thus 
  in 
  the 
  organism 
  " 
  the 
  oxidation 
  does 
  not, 
  

   like 
  ordinary 
  chemical 
  oxidation, 
  increase 
  or 
  diminish 
  in 
  

   proportion 
  to 
  the 
  varying 
  supply 
  of 
  oxygen 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  

   seat 
  of 
  oxidation, 
  but 
  is 
  controlled 
  by 
  living 
  cells 
  ". 
  

  

  We 
  can 
  picture 
  a 
  complicated 
  series 
  of 
  mechanical 
  opera- 
  

   tions 
  with 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  an 
  intelligent 
  workman 
  who 
  is 
  

   essential 
  because 
  what 
  is 
  required 
  is 
  like 
  very 
  intricate 
  

   shunting 
  a 
  regulation, 
  an 
  adjustment, 
  a 
  co-ordination. 
  So 
  

   is 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  organism. 
  We 
  can 
  give 
  a 
  chemico-physical 
  

   account 
  of 
  isolated 
  processes, 
  but 
  we 
  cannot 
  give 
  a 
  connected 
  

   description 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  without 
  postulating 
  the 
  interven- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  living 
  cells. 
  Not 
  hypothetical 
  agents, 
  like 
  Clerk- 
  

   Maxwell's 
  " 
  sorting 
  demons/' 
  but 
  observable 
  living 
  cells 
  like 
  

   Amrebas. 
  

  

  Let 
  us 
  take 
  another 
  illustration. 
  When 
  we 
  strike 
  a 
  match 
  

   we 
  can 
  give 
  a 
  complete 
  chemico-physical 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  later 
  

   phases 
  of 
  the 
  process, 
  apart, 
  that 
  is, 
  from 
  our 
  own 
  intention 
  

   and 
  movement. 
  When 
  we 
  draw 
  back 
  our 
  finger 
  from 
  a 
  hot 
  

   iron, 
  are 
  we 
  illustrating 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  very 
  complicated 
  form 
  

   of 
  the 
  match's 
  response 
  to 
  the 
  friction? 
  According 
  to 
  Dr. 
  

   J. 
  S. 
  Haldane, 
  we 
  are. 
  " 
  In 
  identifying 
  stimulus 
  and 
  

   response 
  with 
  physical 
  or 
  chemical 
  cause 
  and 
  effect, 
  the 
  

   mechanistic 
  theory 
  makes 
  a 
  gigantic 
  leap 
  in 
  the 
  dark." 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  sun's 
  rays 
  passing 
  through 
  a 
  knot 
  in 
  a 
  roof-light 
  

   set 
  fire 
  to 
  a 
  heap 
  of 
  cotton-waste 
  and 
  the 
  flames 
  spread 
  till 
  

   they 
  reach 
  a 
  barrel 
  of 
  gunpowder, 
  which 
  explodes, 
  and 
  other 
  

  

  