DIVISION OF "NEURAL WORK" 377 



The exclusive, or independent, exercise of sympathetic 

 nerve energy, being, thus, sufficient to maintain in being 

 the larger half of the life of the globe of the vegetable 

 entirely, and of the lower animal, a great proportion 

 besides entering into the dual nervine control of the 

 higher animal forms of life. 



In this alliance of sympathetic and systemic methods 

 of innervation, we see the greatest triumph of dynamic 

 combination, and control, that is to be found throughout 

 the whole range of biological physics, and recognise the 

 use, for combined biological purposes, of two of the most 

 marvellously constructed generators and distributors of 

 energy anywhere observable by man throughout nature. 



The sympathetic nervous system, in man, is capable of, 

 and responsible for, acting alone, for, roughly speaking, 

 a third of his lifetime, and for the remaining two-thirds,. 

 of uniting with the systemic nervous system, in maintain- 

 ing the continuance of the vital energies of his body 

 generally, and in aiding the systemic system in the dual 

 control of conscious life and work. 



The work of the sympathetic system, is not, and 

 cannot be, interfered with, by the systemic, save by 

 violence, the alliance being so entirely and consistently 

 dependent, upon the principle of mutual respect, that no 

 wanton interference is permitted with the prerogatives of 

 either system, on the part of the other, unless when patho- 

 logical agencies find access and produce confusion. 



What may be called the organic work of the living 

 body, is entirely within the administrative jurisdiction 

 of sympathetic nerve influence, and is accomplished, so 

 long as the conditions of life hold out unimpaired, and so 

 long as the material supplies are forthcoming, and the 

 preliminary, and terminal, somatic conditions, are main- 

 tained by the systemic nervature. 



The latter, the systemic nervature, is responsible for 

 the choice and supply of the proper elements of food, 

 and their proper quantity, besides the supervising of the 

 economy of excretion, and the maintaining of a strict 

 watch on the disposal of the effete products, resulting 

 from the work of the former. The mutual working of 

 the two systems must, therefore, be secured in detai^ 



