568 BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS 



cell is thus made more manifest when we consider that 

 the nutritive sum of the gross pabulum of to-day with 

 which we supply our bodies, after manifold physical, 

 chemical, and physiological change, is stored up, or 

 deposited, throughout the entire cell intra-spaces of these 

 bodies to become the supporting medium of their whole 

 structures and organs to-morrow. 



Nutrition thus manifests itself within the human body 

 as a uni-cellular, multi-cellular, and inter-systemic phenome- 

 non, accordingly as it is viewed, elementarily or systemically, 

 embryologically, or within the fully developed body. It 

 is due to circulation and organisation of plasmic material, 

 actuated and determined by innervation, or the play of 

 vital energy, within a suitable body on suitable alimentary 

 matter that matter undergoing change, under the influ- 

 ence of vital energy, from its originally inorganic condition 

 to its fully organised form, through the phases of alteration 

 of its atomic arrangement and molecular disposition, its 

 granular rearrangements, cellular developments, textural 

 fabrications, visceral organs, and ultimate systemic 

 combinations. 



As a uni-cellular phenomenon, nutrition consists in the 

 imbibition by the cell wall endosmotically of the required 

 alimentary plasma, and its metabolic disposal, and, synchron- 

 ously, in the excretion exosmotically of effete and non- 

 nutritious material, by the operation of its innate vital, 

 selective, and katabolic energies. As a multi-cellular 

 phenomenon, it consists of the above uni-cellular nutritive 

 method, conjoined with inter-cell distribution of nutritive 

 plasma by means of cell-communicating processes, each 

 cell passing on that plasma to the cell, or cells, with which 

 it is united, until the entire related cell community has 

 had its nutritive wants met. Like uni-cell metabolism, 

 the multi-cell metabolism must comprise and synchronise 

 with the removal or excretion of effete and useless material 

 into the extra-cell spaces and lymph areas for removal, to 

 the end that nutritive circulation should not consist in 

 the redistribution of such probably, or potentially, toxic 

 elements. Pursuing the subject, we see that again inter- 

 systemic or pan-systemic nutrition is effected by both of 

 the foregoing methods, conjoined with the specially and 



