294 



BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS 



of sympathetico-systemic nerve force, or energy, on twice 

 digested matter, within jealously bounded lines, and 

 essential conditions, which eventuates in the evolution 

 of the highest type of structure, or organism, known to 

 science. All preceding processes of a like, but earlier, 

 and less finished, character, so to speak, observable along 

 the far-stretching ascent of organised being, and structure, 



but illustrate the steps and stages 

 of the all-pervading, everywhere 

 operative, and moulding, " law of 

 evolution," the beginning, and 

 end, of which, according to both 

 science, and revelation, are not yet 

 realised abundant corroboration of 

 which cryptic expression is afforded, 

 by the study involved in grasping 

 some 'very inadequate meaning of the 

 great fundamental, or root, pro- 

 blems, of matter, force, or energy, 

 time, and space, and the apparent 

 reality, of that " day dream " of 

 the " thinker," that all these great 

 fragments of truth are but the 

 quarry rubble, out of which the 

 structure of the known, and know- 

 able, cosmos, is ultimately to be 

 constructed, and displayed, by us 

 "humans" even here, and now, 

 we seem approaching a " point of 

 view" from which the two first 

 of these, viz. matter and energy, 

 seem mutually resolvable. It is possible to conceive, 

 that this fundamental nervine element, the neuroglia, 

 may be liable to mal-development, or deposition, but 

 such an aspect of the subject must be regarded, as 

 almost entirely within the region of the inferential, 

 and the speculative, and, so far, therefore, lacking the 

 possession of facts, histological, physiological, and patho- 

 logical, it is thus entitled to nothing more than a passing 

 notice ; we, however, think, that although the briefest 

 notice, or reference, will here be possible only, we are 



FIG. 122. B, DIAGRAM TO 



SHOW THE PARTS OF A 

 MEDULLATED FIBRE. 



i, i, outer or primitive sheath 

 enclosing the doubly contoured 

 white substance or medullary 

 sheath ; a, a part where the 

 white substance is interrupted, 

 the outer sheath remaining ; 

 3, axis cylinder projecting 

 beyond the broken end of the 

 tube ; 4, part of the contents 

 of the tube escaped. 



