THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 59 



presumed to preside over the processes of nutrition and 

 was known by the name Arch<eus. The doctrines of 

 Paracelsus were more especially developed by his dis- 

 ciple Van Helmont, who sought to explain all the phe- 

 nomena of Life by the occurrence of chemical changes 

 in the organism taking place under the guidance of 

 this distinct spiritual entity or c Archseus,' whose place 

 of abode was the cardiac orifice of the stomach. The 

 c Archaeus ' of Van Helmont, however, was only one, 

 though the chief, of many c vital spirits,' which were 

 allotted severally to each organ of the body. In health 

 there was supposed to be a harmonious action of these 

 various c vital spirits,' whilst disease was a result of 

 their discord. But whether the c vital principle' was 

 looked upon as a something altogether peculiar and 

 independent, or as an integral part of the general c Soul 

 of Nature,' in either case the organism as an organism 

 was supposed to have owed its nature and peculiarities 

 to the influence and active working of the c vital 

 principle.' 



Then, in all but modern times, Life was by the 

 greater number of physiologists looked upon as a con- 

 sequence rather than as a cause of organization ; whilst 

 c vital ' actions, or the phenomena presented by living 

 beings, were supposed to be altogether special in kind 

 to be the peculiar manifestations of the inherent acti- 

 vity of the organized body, and to have no necessary 

 relationship with the physical forces of the inorganic 

 world. Later still, as we have seen, this view gradually 



