DOCTRINE OF MATERIALISM. 89 



which vegetables, in the day time, are con- 

 stantly discharging from the whole external 

 surface of their foliage as urinous and feculent ; 

 and which the aberrations of these pure defe- 

 cated philosophers suppose, constitutes the 

 principle of life, in which all living power essen- 

 tially resides, the immediate and proximate 

 cause of irritability in man ! ! ! 



The rational mind turns away with nausea, 

 and with aversion, from the contemplation of 

 causes, that lead to such unseemly conclu^ 

 sions ; it receives, with becoming indignation, 

 and is disposed to hold up to derision, and to 

 scorn, the folly of those pretenders to physio- 

 logy, who know not how lo separate the sub- 

 ject matter of a body, from the power by 

 which it is governed, and to which it is wholly 

 subservient. The oxygen, before it is received 

 into the system, is as absolutely dead as any 

 particle of food which is introduced into the 

 stomach, 



I flatter myself that these strictures will not 

 be considered too severe, when I proceed to 

 point out the intemperate and abominable sys- 

 tem which these visionary doctrines have pro- 

 duced. I am naturally led, as an immediate 

 effect flowing from cause, to investigate the 

 Ttrunonian system a system which, I am 

 grieved to say, has generally prevailed at 

 home, as it does universally abroad ; not only 



