82 Comparative Anatomy ; or an Attempt at 



exist; but which in conteinplation must continually remind U9, 

 that the same great and benevoleiit Being formed and created 

 both. 



To give some idea, though an imperfect one, of the nature of 

 the two different beings to be comjiared, " the human form and 

 vegetable," it is first necessary to fix on those parts which can 

 in any measure be assimilated to each other. To the brain, 

 spinal medulla, and heart of an animal, \ve can only with jus- 

 tice contra'-t the line of life of a tree. But how different! how 

 inferior ! The spiral wire is, however, a more faithful image of 

 the muscle: indeed, as the plant isapparentlva mechanical being', 

 we might expect to find the strongest similitude in these parts; 

 and as the muscle is in both the oidy j)art which seems to possess 

 a self- exist in (T motion, we can be in no danger of mistaking in the 

 vegetable ih.c wrong situation, since the spiral is the only part 

 which is vis insiia. The wood and the bones also have some 

 curious analogies. The l)lood, with the bark, juice, and sap, may 

 be compared. The oil of the mvscles and spiral wire are the 

 same. The womb and seed-vessel are something alike. The 

 stomach, the place of digestion ; the liver, the secreter of bile; 

 the kidneys, the bladder, — all belong to a being that digests ; 

 which the plant does not. The skin and the upper cuticle have 

 no resemblance wliatever. The plant has no nei-ves; nor are the 

 tnitsclcs at all attached to the line of life, or brain of the plant. 

 Both beings have lymphatics, both have glavds, but the vegetable 

 is different from the animal gland ; since the vegetable has no 

 secretions from the blood, but receives the juices of this kind all 

 pure from the hairs. Does not every part of this selection 

 prove the vc^getable to be a mere mi'cha?iical agent P a great 

 and bold line, drawn by the Almighty hand to diversify and 

 beautify creation, and fill up the link which would otherwise be 

 wanting between the organized and unorganized matters 1 Let 

 us then descend to the minutiae of the existing difference. 



First then (to borrow Hunter's words and plan), we must form 

 a Mman being. The mind (the immaterial agent) must be pro- 

 vided with a place of immediate residence, which shall have a!l 

 the reciuisites for the union of spirit and body: accordingly she is 

 provided with a brain, where she dwells as governor and super*- 

 intendant of the whole falnic. In the next place, as she is to 

 hold a correspondence with all the material beings around her, 

 she must be supplied with organs fitted to receive the different 

 kinds of impressions which they will make: in fact, therefore, 

 we see that she is provided with the organs of sense; the eye to 

 see, &c. Sic, Further, she must be furnished with other organs 

 between herself in the brain and those organs of sense ; and she 

 must have other orgara between herself in the brcnn and every 



other 



