360 THE ORGANIC ATOM. 



the world in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, results 

 from the combination of cells. The atom of inorganic 

 nature becomes a cell in organic creation. This cell 

 must be regarded as the compound radical of the chemist, 

 and by decomposing it, we destroy the essential element 

 of organization. 



With the mysterious process by which the atom is 

 converted into a cell, or a compound radical, we are un<- 

 acquainted ; but we must regard the cell as the organic 

 atom. It is in vain that the chemist or the physiologist 

 attempts to examine this change of the inorganic elements 

 to an organized state; it is one of the mysteries of 

 creation, which is to be, in all probability, hid from our 

 eyes, until this "mortal coil" is shaken off, and we 

 enjoy the full powers of that intelligence which we 

 are promised we shall enjoy in an immortal state. 



Again and again has the attention of men been 

 attracted to the generatio cequivoca ; they have some- 

 times thought they have discovered a generatio primitives 

 or spontanea ; but a more careful examination of these 

 organisms has shown that an embryo existed a real 

 germination has taken place. 



Count Rumford* stated that threads of silk and 

 wool had the power of decomposing carbonic acid 

 in water in the sunshine; and hence some have re- 

 ferred organization to a mere chemical change pro- 

 duced by luminous excitation ; and we have heard of 

 animal life resulting from pounded siliceous matter. All 

 such statements must be regarded as evidences of imper- 

 fect investigation. 



Dr. Cams, alluding to the experiments of Gruithuisen r 

 Priestley, and Ingenhousz,f says : "These show, more 



* Experiments on the production of dephlogisticated air Jrom 

 water with various substances-, by Lieut.-General Sir Benjamin, 

 Count of Kumford; Phil. Trans., A*ol. Ixxvii. p. 84. 



f Experiments upon Vegetables, discovering their great power of 

 purifying the common air in the Sunshine, and of injuring it in the 



