44 THE CHANGES IN NUTRITION 



neither the force, dexterity, nor combinations employed 

 have been sufficient to effect the purpose. 



It will be shown that certain phenomena occur in every- 

 thing that " lives," or are invariably associated with the living 

 state, and that such phenomena cannot be proved to result 

 from the working of any form or mode of force yet known, 

 and are not manifested by any form of non-living matter. 

 It seems to me that unless it can be shown, in at least one 

 single instance, that force really causes matter to grow, move, 

 divide, and form, we have no right to attribute such pheno- 

 mena to force. Every kind of matter which grows, moves, 

 divides, and forms, can be proved to come from matter which 

 did the same before it. Now, since machines and labora- 

 tories, which it need scarcely be said are not derived from 

 pre-existing machines and laboratories, but in which force is 

 conditioned and chemical relations are altered, neither grow 

 of themselves, move of themselves, divide nor form of them- 

 selves, is it not unreasonable to assert that mere force- 

 conditioning machines or laboratories are like living things ? 



Neither the chemist nor the physicist has taught us any- 

 thing concerning the actual changes which take place when 

 pabulum becomes totally changed and converted into living 

 matter, or when the latter gives rise to some peculiar kind of 

 formed matter. The chemist has shown us, it is true, that 

 certain substances resulting in the organism during the dis- 

 integration of formed matter may be prepared artificially in 

 the laboratory, but he knows as well as the physiologist, that 

 the formation of these things is conducted upon totally dif- 

 ferent principles, of the nature of which all are entirely 

 ignorant. And it is childish to attempt to hide our ignor- 

 ance by calling the living matter a laboratory or a molecular 



