PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 



that surround us, is derived from their possessing or 

 being destitute of an organised structure. The want 

 of organisation is the peculiar characteristic of mere 

 brute matter, and affords an evidence of the absence of 

 the living principle; and is a clear proof that it has not 

 been present in those bodies during their formation or 

 increase. On the other hand, the slightest trace of or- 

 ganisation discoverable in any natural body is a com- 

 plete proof that life is, or at least was once, present in 

 that body. The separate particles of which unorgan- 

 ised bodies are composed, are either elementary atoms, 

 or compound molecules, in which certain elementary 

 atoms are united together by the force of affinity 

 in a definite proportion. When these separate parti- 

 cles, or " integrant molecules" as they are termed in 

 mineralogy, are allowed gradually to coalesce from a 

 state of solution or of fusion, they then arrange them- 

 selves into various regular geometric forms, called crys- 

 tals. These crystals can increase in size only by a 

 further juxtaposition of similar molecules added to 

 them externally. When the peculiar circumstances 

 under which they may be placed do not allow these in- 

 tegrant molecules to arrange themselves into crystal- 

 line forms, they may still be able to combine together 

 into shapeless masses, which possess the same homo- 

 geneity of character as though they had been regularly 

 crystallised. All such combinations of unorganised 

 matter are termed " simple minerals." Compound 

 minerals, such as rocks and stones, the ocean, the atmo- 

 sphere, are merely heterogeneous admixtures of simple 

 minerals, which naturally exist under a solid, liquid, 

 or gaseous form. When aggregated into large masses, 

 these " compound minerals" constitute our earth, and 

 probably also all the various heavenly bodies. 



(6.) Organised Bodies. Although organised bodies 

 are made up of the same elementary atoms as those 

 which compose unorganised bodies, yet are they dis- 

 tinguishable from these latter, not merely by the pre- 

 sence of the living principle, but completely and satis- 



