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in the animal body under certain conditions, they become so. The 

 physical relations pointed out are only necessary preliminary steps 

 for the addition of that unknown foi'ce called vitality, which directs 

 the ultimate forms these structures assume. They are a sme qua 

 non, without which vitality cannot be called into existence. The 

 author thought that these facts, without being capable of explaining 

 the mystery which envelopes the assimilation of organic into orga- 

 nised matter, will constitute another link to the chain of physical 

 actions introductory to its accomplishment. This chain he consi- 

 dered might be composed as follows : — 1st, Introduction into the 

 stomach and alimentary canal of organic matter. 2d, Transforma- 

 tion of this by the chemical process of digestion into albuminous and 

 oily compounds. 3c?, The physical imbibition of these, and their 

 union to form elementary granules and cells in thevilli and lacteals ; 

 and, lastly, the vital transformation of these into blood. We observe 

 the same order of changes when exudation takes place from the 

 blood; viz., \st. Exudation of liquor sanguinis, containing oil and 

 albumen in solution. 2d, The mechanical union of these to form 

 elementary granules and nuclei ; and, Zd, The vital transformation 

 of these into various tissues. 



The author then proceeded to point out various conditions of the 

 animal economy in which the healthy relations of the oily and albu- 

 minous principles were moi'e or less deranged. 



Sometimes we have general or local collections of fatty matter as 

 in obesity ; fatty degeneration of the liver, kidney, and muscles ; 

 fatty tumours and the compound granular corpuscles so common in 

 inflammatory softenings, which he considered evidences of local fatty 

 collections. In the same manner we have excessive leanness, and 

 alterations known as cicatrices, indurations, strictures, and fibrous tu- 

 mours, which are local accumulations of the albuminous compounds. 

 To this class also belong tubercular deposits. The excess of one of 

 these in a tissue leads to atrophy of the other ; thus in fatty liver we 

 have excess of the cellular and diminution of the fibrous element, 

 whilst the contrai-y is the case in cirrhosis. The emunctory organs 

 of these two principles are exposed to like alterations from excess 

 of fat or albumen, and those principles themselves give rise to crys- 

 tallized products, viz., cholesterine and uric acid, causing obstructive 

 diseases. 



Inflammatory diseases in healthy persons give rise to an exuda- 

 tion containing corpuscles, with nuclei and cell walls composed of oil 



