THE CAPILLARY SYSTEM. 179 



the heart itself is capillary, and by consequence that private force 

 and freedom which belong to these quick vessels, lies in the very 

 core of the heart as the general force. In view of this, we might 

 begin with these ambidextrous and complaisant parts, and derive the 

 power of the heart itself from the array of their combined indivi- 

 dualities. And if there exists even in the cold life of plants a 

 natural attraction of particled fluids to their destination, and an an- 

 swerable force which creates the vegetable current, much more in 

 the human frame with its powerful lungs and brains, is there an 

 attraction of the particles of the blood towards the capillaries — an 

 attraction which draws them at an accelerated ratio the nearer they 

 approach those original conduits older than the heart, where their 

 uses and sacrifices are to be accomplished. It has indeed been sup- 

 posed by some that the blood is freest in the great vessels, but that 

 its globules scrape against the sides of the capillaries, and lose their 

 power by friction ; and this has been supported by microscopic views ; 

 but then on the other hand it is impossible to place any living sheet 

 of membrane, e. g., the web of a frog's foot, under the microscope, 

 without changing the conditions, setting disturbing emotions at work 

 upon the circulation, and destroying the equilibrium between the 

 globules and their homes. And even if this be done during the 

 insensibility of the animal, the case is not normal still ; the anae- 

 sthesia itself is a new element ; and moreover there are organic 

 emotions as well as conscious ones, which go on under inflictions 

 just as though the pained animal were at the back of them (p. 31). 

 Even dead leather crinkles and writhes over the fire as though it 

 were full of burning agony. Rational induction alone can then 

 decide the question. And this ignores the idea that our blood ex- 

 periences new physical difficulties when it nears the goal of its exist- 

 ence, or is hindered more and more by material clogs as it comes 

 within hail of the spirit of the brain. It is true that the blood dies 

 in the capillaries, and its ruddy frame turns blue, but it is never so 

 tenderly alive as on its death-bed, never so near to its real ends, and 

 in its ascent from the earthy heart it wings itself with speed, until 

 at the last, in its final place and secret hour, it is all spontaneity and 

 calmness. It is wrong then to speculate upon any rigidity of the 

 tubes in the balance of healthy life : if the globule tends to impinge, 



