



266 LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 



which the general tone of the health and strength 

 is universally lowered ; in a word, I mean that 

 anomalous state of the health usually termed " in- 

 digestion " or " dyspepsia.*' And if I can teach you 

 how to avoid this, I shall have taken a large stride 

 towards teaching you how to escape almost all other 

 disorders, especially chronic disorders : for it is 

 general disorder which produces local disease, and 

 not local disease which produces general disorder. 

 But to proceed : 



Life, in the wide and physiological acceptation, 

 consists of all the actions of which living beings are 

 capable ; not only the internal actions, as of the 

 heart, vessels, &c. &c., but also of the external ac- 

 tions, as of the limbs in running, leaping, &c. . But 

 in a medical point of view, when speaking of life, 

 the internal actions only are indicated those invi- 

 sible and inappreciable molecular motions which 

 are constantly going on in the ultimate tissue of 

 our organs, and by which nutrition is effected. 



All physiologists agree that life consists in the 

 constant wasting and reproduction of the body, 

 particle by particle by a perpetual analysis of the 

 old particles composing our organs, and a perpetual 

 synthesis of new particles derived from the blood 

 by a perpetual pulling down of the old materials, and 



