THE " CHEMIST" OF THE CELL. 85 



entered for competitive examination with an equal number 

 of anthropomorphic mechanisms, for, in this way, the 

 relative merits of the two sets of machines would be de- 

 termined with a considerable approach to accuracy. 



In spite of all this strong language, however, Mr. Huxley 

 does seem to admit that, what we call volition is comparable 

 with the part that is played by the engineer of the hydraulic 

 machine. So that, after all, it would appear that the animal 

 machine might have associated with it something correspond- 

 ing to a director a governor an engineer. If this be so, is 

 it not possible that this governing or directing agent may be 

 that which, belonging to the apparatus, is alone capable of 

 being influenced by education ? And if this much be ad- 

 mitted, we may surely be allowed to conclude that the me- 

 chanism of the living body is under the control of a something 

 that is not the mechanism itself ; and if this be so, every little 

 " cell laboratory " may, after all, be tenanted and governed 

 by " a chemist " able to arrange the material molecules, and 

 bring the elements within the spheres of each other's affi- 

 nities. This " chemist" may dismiss old matter and force, 

 and use new matter and force in place of that which has 

 been removed; nevertheless, I cannot feel at all sure 

 whether I am correct in the inference, that Mr. Huxley 

 believes in the " engineer ;" for it seems to me that if he 

 did believe in him, he would tell us how he got himself 

 into his position, whether he was brought there or got 

 there by his own accord; and surely Mr. Huxley would 

 offer some speculations as to whence he came and whither 

 he would go when the machinery he governed no longer 

 responded to his commands, and was worn out. One 

 would have thought that Mr. Huxley would have told us 



