328 THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 



groups of natural bodies, the so-called inanimate or inor- 

 ganic, and the animate or organic bodies, and then estab- 

 lish what is common to, and what are the differences be- 

 tween, the two groups. It is desirable to go somewhat care- 

 fully into the comiDarison of organisms and anorgana, 

 since it is commonly very much neglected, although it is 

 necessary for a right understanding of nature from the 

 monistic point of view. It will be most advantageous here 

 to look separately at the three fundamental properties of 

 every natural body ; these are matter, form, and force. Let 

 us begin with 7)iatter. (Gen. Morph. iii.) 



By chemistry we have succeeded in analysing all bodies 

 known to us into a small number of elements or simple sub- 

 stances, which cannot be further divided, for example, 

 carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and the different metals : 

 potassium, sodium, iron, gold, etc. At present we know 

 about seventy such elements or simple substances. The 

 majority of them are unimportant and rare ; the minority 

 only are widely distributed, and compose not only most of 

 the anorgana, but also all organisms. If we compare those 

 elements which constitute the body of organisms with those 

 which are met with in anorgana, we have first to note the 

 highly important fact that in animal and vegetable bodies 

 no element occurs but what can be found outside of them in 

 inanimate nature. There are no special organic elements or 

 simple organic substances. 



The chemical and physical differences existing between 

 organisms and anorgana, consequently, do not lie in their 

 material foundation; they do not arise from the different 

 nature of the elements composing them, but from the dif- 

 ferent manner in which the latter are united by chemical 



