BOOK II. 



THE DOCTRINE OF ENERGY AND THE LIVING 

 WORLD. 



Summary: General Ideas of Life. — Elementary Life. — Chapter 

 I. Energy in General. — Chapter II. Energy in Biology. — 

 Chapter III. Alimentary Energetics. 



GENERAL IDEAS OF LIFE. ELEMENTARY LIFE. 



Life is the Sum-total of the Phenomena Common 

 to all Living- Beings. Elementary Life. — Living 

 beings differ more in form and configuration than 

 in their manner of being. They are distinguished 

 more by their anatomy than by their physiology. 

 There are, in fact, phenomena common to all, from 

 the highest to the lowest. Tliis is because there is 

 that similar or identical foundation, that quid commune 

 which has enabled us to apply to them the common 

 name of " living beings." Claude Bernard gave to 

 this sum-total of manifestations common to all (nutri- 

 tion, reproduction) the name of elementary life. To 

 him general physiology was the study of elementary 

 life; the two expressions were equivalent, and they 

 were equivalent to a longer formula which the 

 illustrious biologist has given as a title to one of 

 his most celebrated works — The Study of the 

 Phenomena Common to all Living Beings, Animals, 



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