Some Account of M.. Bichat's Theory of Life. 169 



This is his view of hfe, considered in the most general and 

 simple way. But in carrying the examination further, he 

 points out two remarkable modifications of life, as viewed 

 in different relations, one common both to vegetables and ani- 

 mals, the other peculiar to animals. The vegetable exists en- 

 tirely within itself, and for itself, depending upon other sub- 

 stances only for the materials of nutrition ; the animal, on the 

 contrary, in addition to this internal life, has another, by which 

 he connects himself with objects about him, maintains relations 

 with them, and is bound to them by the ties of mutual depend- 

 ence. This affords a principle, upon which to form a distinct 

 classification of our functions. Those which we have in com- 

 mon with the vegetable, which are necessary merely to our 

 individual bodily existence, are called the functions of organic 

 life, because they are common to all organized matter. Those, 

 on the other hand, which are peculiar to animals, which in 

 them are superadded to the possession of the organic functions, 

 are called the functions of animal life. 



Physiologically speaking, then, we have two lives, the con- 

 currence of which enables us to live and move and have our 

 being; both equally necessary to the relations we maintain as 

 human beings, but not equally necessary to the simple exist- 

 ence of a living thing. By our organic life, food proper for 

 our nutrition is first submitted to the operation of digestion, is 

 then thrown into the circulation, undergoes in the lungs the 

 changes which respiration is intended to effect, is then distri- 

 buted to the organs to be applied to their nutrition; from 

 these, after a certain period, is taken away by absorption, 

 thrown again into the circulation, and discharged at length 

 from the system by means of the several exhalations and se- 

 cretions. This is the life by which all the parts of the body 

 are kejit in a state of repair ; it is the life of waste and supply; 

 necessarily subservient to the performance of those functions, 

 which are the distinguishing characteristics of our nature, but 

 not at all engaged in their performance itself. By our animal 

 life, on the contrary, we become related to the world about us; 

 the senses convey to us a knowledge of the existence of other 

 things beside ourselves; a knowledge also of their qualities 

 and their capacities for producing pleasure or pain ; we feel, 

 we reflect, we judge, we will, and react upon external things, 

 by means of the organs of locomotion and voice: according to 

 the result of these mental operations, we become capable of 

 communicating and receiving pleasure and pain, happiness and 

 misery. In fact, by the organic life we merely exist nega- 



Vol. 6 1 . No. 299.' March 1 82:J. Y tively ; 



