REPUTED ACTIONS OF VITAL FORCE. 57 



' We are able to construct a crystal of alum from its elements, 

 namely, sulphur, oxygen, hydrogen, potassium, and aluminum, 

 inasmuch as heat as well as chemical affinity are, within a certain 

 limit, at our free disposal, and thus we can determine the manner 

 of arrangement of the simple and compound elements. But we 

 cannot make an atom of sugar from the elements of sugar, be- 

 cause in their aggregation into the characteristic form of a sugar 

 atom, the vital force co-operates, which is not within the reach of 

 our control, as heat, light, the force of gravity, &c., are to a cer- 

 tain extent We may produce atoms of a higher 



order by combining two, three, four, or more compound organic 

 atoms ; we can decompose the more complex into less complex 

 compound atoms ; we can produce sugar from wood or starch, 

 and from sugar we can produce oxalic acid, lactic acid, butyric 

 acid, acetic acid, aldehyd, alcohol, formic acid, &c., although we 

 are altogether incapable of producing any of these compounds by 

 a direct combination of their elements.' 



(60.) I might further refer you to Dr. Gregory's deservedly- 

 popular Handbook, of which the last edition appeared in 1857, 

 and to many other works, as showing the general prevalence of 

 these opinions, but content myself with extracting the following 

 series of passages from the most recent of all our chemical 

 manuals. You will see that in this work, published only two 

 years ago, the statements made by Liebig in 1851, and by older 

 chemists long before then, are substantially reiterated. * Organic 

 chemistry,' say the authors, ' is that branch of the science which 

 refers to the properties and composition of organised products, or 

 of substances which have been formed in vegetables and animals 

 under the influence of life. . . , The products, or those sub- 

 stances which result from artificial processes, are far more nume- 

 rous than the educts, or proximate principles of which organic 

 compounds are considered to be formed. These educts, which, 

 as their name implies, may be extracted in an unaltered state, are 

 the immediate or proximate principles of the vegetable or animal 

 structure. . . . Some bodies which exist naturally in the 

 vegetable structure, and are regarded as educts, may be arti- 



