THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 59 



presumed to preside over the processes of nutrition and 

 was known by the name Arckteus. The doctrines of 

 Paracelsus were more especially developed by his dis- 

 ciple Van Helmont, who sought to explain all the phe- 

 nomena of Life by the occurrence of chemical changes 

 in the organism taking place under the guidance of 

 this distinct spiritual entity or c Archaeus, 3 whose place 

 of abode was the cardiac orifice of the stomach. The 

 c Archxus' of Van Helmont, however, was only one, 

 though the chief, of many c vital spirits,' which were 

 allotted severally to each organ of the body. In health 

 there was supposed to be a harmonious action of these 

 various c vital spirits,' whilst disease was a result of 

 their discord. But whether the c vital principle' was 

 looked upon as a something altogether peculiar and 

 independent, or as an integral part of the general c Soul 

 of Nature,' in either case the organism as an organism 

 was supposed to have owed its nature and peculiarities 

 to the influence and active working of the c vital 

 principle.' 



Then, in all but modern times, Life was by the 

 greater number of physiologists looked upon as a con- 

 sequence rather than as a cause of organization ; whilst 

 c vital ' actions, or the phenomena presented by living 

 beings, were supposed to be altogether special in kind 

 to be the peculiar manifestations of the inherent acti- 

 vity of the organized body, and to have no necessary 

 relationship with the physical forces of the inorganic 

 world. Later still, as we have seen, this view gradually 



