APHORISMS AND REFLECTIONS 119 



give the mixture the proper grain, and so on. The 

 powder once formed part of the stock, or capital, of 

 a powder-maker : and it is not only certain natural 

 bodies which are collected and stored in the gun- 

 powder, but the labour bestowed on the operations 

 mentioned may be figuratively said to be incorporated 

 in it. 



In principle, the work-stuff stored in the muscles 

 of the new-born child is comparable to that stored 

 in the gun-barrel. The infant is launched into 

 altogether new surroundings ; and these operate 

 through the mechanism of the nervous machinery, 

 with the result that the potential energy of some 

 of the work-stuff in the muscles which bring about 

 inspiration is suddenly converted into actual energy ; 

 and this, operating through the mechanism of the 

 respiratory apparatus, gives rise to an act of inspira- 

 tion. As the bullet is propelled by the "going off" 

 of the powder, as it might be said that the ribs are 

 raised and the midriff depressed by the " going off" 

 of certain portions of muscular work-stuff. This 

 work-stuff is part of a stock or capital of that 

 commodity stored up in the child's organism 

 before birth, at the expense of the mother ; and the 

 mother has made good her expenditure by drawing 

 upon the capital of food-stuffs which furnished her 

 daily maintenance. 



Under these circumstances, it does not appear to 

 me to be open to doubt that the primary act of 

 outward labour in the series which necessarily 

 accompany the life of man is dependent upon the 

 pre-existence of a stock of material which is not 

 only of use to him, but which is disposed in such a 

 manner as to be utilisable with facility. And I 

 further imagine that the propriety of the application 

 of the term "capital" to this stock of useful sub- 



