AQUOSITY AND VITALITY. 



duty on the part of every one to rely upon the correctness 

 of their statements, and to exhibit faith in their prophetic 

 disclosures. 



Aquosity and Vitality. The properties possessed by in- 

 organic compounds are supposed to be due in some way to 

 the properties of the elements of which they consist. Thus 

 it has been remarked that the properties of water result 

 from the properties of its constituent gases, and are not 

 due to " aquosity," as if any reasonable being could think 

 of referring the properties of water to a " subtle influence " 

 like "aquosity." It has been argued that since the pro- 

 perties of water are due to its gases and not to aquosity, 

 the properties of protoplasm must be due to its elements, 

 Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Carbon, and not to 

 vitality. Mr. Huxley, says : 



" If the nature and properties of water may be properly 

 said to result from the nature and disposition of its com- 

 ponent molecules, / can find no intelligible ground for re- 

 fusing to say that the properties of protoplasm result from 

 the nature and disposition of its molecules." 



Just as if it had been proved that the properties of water 

 and the properties of protoplasm were properties of the 

 same order, and properties in the same sense. Mr. Huxley's 

 writings teem with such inaccuracies of expression. The 

 innocent reader is of course expected to conclude, that if 

 Mr. Huxley can find no " reasonable ground for refusing to 

 say," &c., no one else can do so. The reader, thereupon, 

 thankfully accepts Mr. Huxley's opinion. If, a physical 

 writer should be in any doubt about gaining the desired 

 number of converts to his views, and should feel a little 

 misgiving, lest some of his readers might not be inclined to 



