CONFORMITY WITH PLAN 349 



ence of excitation by individuals that is furnished us by 

 the analogy of the community. Part of these processes takes 

 place in the differentiated, mechanical portion of the cell ; 

 but another part initiates an invasion of the protoplasm by 

 impulses. From our study of the life of the community, 

 both are familiar to us, for there also the co-operation of the 

 individuals depends partly on simple reflexes, and partly on 

 plastic actions. 



There still remains much to be done before we can succeed 

 in revealing the higher mechanics of the relations of the 

 individual somatic cells to one another. But only when this 

 is brought to light, shall we be able to say that we have a real 

 insight into the functions of the body. 



The time is past when we could compare living organisms 

 with machines ; it may be that we shall succeed in construct- 

 ing machines that, in addition to the familiar mechanism, 

 possess a special excitation-mechanism for the interchange 

 of differentiated substances. But even so, if the analogy 

 with living organisms is to be complete, it would be necessary 

 for the machines to be built up of individualised parts of the 

 framework, converting only certain stimuli into indications, 

 and then performing certain actions. But even all this would 

 not suffice, for we should not be able to endow our machines 

 with the internal constructor and director. These remain 

 the lasting prerogative of the living organism. 



On the other hand, a more profound knowledge of the life 

 of the community will beneficially affect our understanding 

 of organisms. The community is itself a living being, pos- 

 sessing an internal constructor and director. All its organs 

 are composed of individuals. Its functions take place in the 

 realm of higher mechanics, by means of the transference of 

 excitation. Its success depends on the faultless focussing of 

 the sensed-worlds of individual beings on the indications that 

 accord with their special vocations, and on the flawless execu- 



