186 DR. BEALE, ON CONTRACTILITY. 
differences that can be demonstrated between germinal matter 
and formed material. 
The mass of germinal matter may move from place to 
place. A portion of muscular tissue moves within a given 
space, but does not move itself away from the position it 
occupied. The muscle’ cannot extend a portion of itself 
from any part of its surface to some distance from the general 
mass and draw it back again, nor can it detach a portion 
from itself from every part of which protrusions may occur 
after it has been detached. Again, if a part of the mucus- 
corpuscles dies, that which still lives moves away from the 
altered portion. Now, a part of muscle which still possesses 
contractile power, does not move away from that which has 
ceased to contract. But the movements of the mucus-cor- 
puscle and of other forms of germinal matter form but a 
small part of the characteristics which distinguish it from 
every kind of formed material. It absorbs matter, effects 
its decomposition, and converts certain of its elements into 
matter having the same properties as it possesses itself. 
Many observers in the present day seem to think that all 
motion is essentially the same, and argue that because 
there are reasons for thinking that muscular motion, and 
even certain forms of nervous action, like heat, electricity, 
&c., are merely different modes of primary motion, there- 
fore we must admit that every kind of movement occurring in 
living organisms is of the same order. But the vital actions 
of living matter are very different from the phenomena 
occurring in any kind of formed material. The formed 
material may be arranged so as to form a mechanism which, 
however elaborate, may be governed by the same laws as 
other mechanisms; but what of the matter which produced 
the formed mechanism? It is this that the physicist should 
study before he discards vital as distinguished from every 
other force or power, and. assumes that life is but another 
form of ordinary force, heat, or motion. So far, the movement 
of living matter, the modifying power exerted by living upon 
lifeless matter, the converting and forming power of living matter, 
have utterly baffled all attempts at explanation, and the more 
minutely the phenomena, which are open to the observation 
of all are studied, the more marvellous and inscrutable do 
they appear. 
Dr. Carpenter has drawn attention to the manifest absurdity 
of supposing that all the force manifested in the fully formed 
organism existed in the germ in a concentrated form, and 
adopts the opinion that fresh organizing force is constantly 
being supplied from without. This organizing force is in fact 
