RELATION TO VITALITY. 35 



than that of the most eroding caustic. Such, 

 indeed, is the activity of this living juice, that, 

 although it remains, during life, in harmony 

 with the organ by which it has been produced, 

 its own power, notwithstanding, extends and 

 continues after the death of the organ itself has 

 taken place; hence it is, that the stomach has 

 then been found corroded and destroyed, more 

 especially in its pyloric extremity, and after 

 making its way on surrounding parts, these 

 have been found torn asunder and finally dis- 

 solved. 



This solvent power was abundantly proved 

 by REAUMUR, by Dr. STEVENS, and others; 

 they introduced different kinds of food in balls, 

 some of which were perforated, and others 

 which were impervious : the food placed in the 

 former, to which the gastric juice could have 

 access, was very easily digested, while the food 

 contained in the latter remained unaltered. 



When we contrast the uniformity of effect 

 which ensues from chemical combination, with 

 the variety which results from the assimilat- 

 ing power of the digestive organs ; we must, 

 necessarily, be led to conclude, that the ef- 

 fect produced does not proceed from a chemical 

 cause. If it arose from a chemical cause, the 

 change which the food sustained, by the mutual 

 action between its parts, -would be regular and 

 uniform ; and the result, instead of being always 



D 2 



