306 TRANS. OF THE ACAD. OF SCIENCE. 



Having thus demonstrated not only the existence of a 

 vital force, hut also its superiority to physical forces, let us 

 ask, what becomes of vital force during the decline or decay 

 and death of the organic body. The solution of this ques- 

 tion is more difficult than in lower forces, because vital force 

 cannot be measured and tested by scales and crucible, but 

 must be judged only by its effects. Nevertheless, various 

 ways are apparent, by which vital force is either changed into 

 other forces, or preserved intact for future use. Thus it seems 

 not unlikely, that, since organic life is accompanied by a 

 continued series of chemical actions, a part at least of vital 

 force may be gradually converted into chemical affinity, 

 which in course of years becomes thereby so overpowering 

 as to subdue vital force and cause death. The rapid destruc- 

 tion of an organism deprived of life, and its entire submission 

 to chemical laws, seems to be better accounted for by the 

 assumption of a partial and gradual conversion of vital force 

 into chemical affinity. Vice versa chemical affinity may, 

 during vigorous life, be partially converted into vital force. 

 As organic life does not thrive without light, heat and elec- 

 tricity, we may be justified also in assuming a mutual con- 

 version of these forces into each other. The sunbeam, that 

 stimulates organic life to higher vital force, may also absorb 

 and feed on equivalents of vital force. 



But however hypothetical, in the present state of physical 

 sciences, such speculations may appear, one plain fact is 

 apparent to the eyes of all observers, viz : that the greater 

 part of vital force in nature is constantly and carefully pre- 

 served intact, stored up, as it were, for future use in the form 

 of seed. Seed is vital force in the ?nost compact, concentrated 

 form. Nature preserves in this way not only the vital force 

 of the species and genus, but to some degree also that of the 

 individual. When the plant after flowering runs into seed, 

 its growth is arrested and its leaves begin to wither, because 

 nearly all the vital force is turned into seed, and when the 

 seed is matured, the plant may decay ; the vital force stored 

 up in the seed will after short rest restore its like ten-fold 

 and a hundred-fold. In lower organizations this seeding pro- 

 cess is necessarily connected with the death of the individual; 

 in higher ones it can be often repeated during life and is 

 generally confined to the most vigorous years of life. But, 

 whatever modifications there exist in the seeding process, its 

 general tendency is the same — to preserve the vital force of 

 the organic world from destruction. Vital force is as im- 

 perishable and eternal as any other force. 



After physical forces and after vital force, there is still 

 another force left for our consideration, which is superior to 

 them all — I mean the reasoning force, represented on our 

 globe by the highest of organic beings, by man. 



