VITAL PHENOMENA. 107 



beings. The question not only lies at the very root of 

 physiology, but forces itself upon our consideration at every 

 step. It must, therefore, be discussed, and provisional 

 hypotheses may be advanced if only to mark the paths 

 already traversed in the course of our difficult and never- 

 ending exploration. 



That the physical school should try to stop all enquiry 

 at this very point is exactly what might be expected, for 

 the subject is obviously out of the path of physical enquiry, 

 but it by no means, therefore, follows that nothing is to be 

 learnt concerning it. No wonder that those who would 

 have us believe that the highest aspirations of the soul are 

 but manifestations of so many units of force, desire to 

 chain the mind so tightly to the material that it shall 

 no longer exercise one of its remarkable endowments 

 that of stretching towards regions into which the senses 

 cannot penetrate. Is the mind to follow the senses, 

 instead of leading, controlling, and directing them? Are 

 the senses to govern the intellect and to dictate to it the 

 conditions under which it may work ? But even the dis- 

 ciples of the physical school cannot altogether refrain from 

 advancing vain speculations and fanciful hypotheses. Is it 

 then the attempt to speculate in one particular direction 

 that gives such offence in these days, and which some try 

 to put down, with firmness and force ? The new school 

 professes to consider all enquiries worthless which are not 

 conducted by experiment and observation, and yet how many 

 obscure and doubtful facts of observation and experiment 

 are advanced and used as scientific certainties, when the 

 magic light of physical theory has been projected upon 



