ORGANIC AND INORGANIC STRUCTURES. 5 



continue, and yet again acquire full possession of all their 

 faculties on the re-application of moisture. But strange as 

 this may seem, and contradictory to the statement that 

 life's term is limited, it forms no real exception. The 

 total duration of real, active life, is the same, whether it 

 be spread over a few days or weeks, or over years. Life 

 implies constant change, and inasmuch as there is no 

 change in these structures while dessicated, there is no 

 life. The lethargic state in which they lie, in the absence 

 of moisture, has been called a condition of dormant vita- 

 lity ; but the term was coined at a time when all life was 

 supposed to be due to a store of vital power laid up and 

 hidden in the structure which was afterwards to manifest 

 life, and, as will be explained hereafter, can only mean 

 capability of living. We may say, therefore, that the 

 period of real life, in all creatures possessing it, is limited 

 and definite. 



Another great peculiarity by which organized matter is 

 distinguished from inorganic, is difference in chemical com- 

 position. The elements in the two are, indeed, the same ; 

 that is to say, all that is found in organic can be found in 

 inorganic matter ; as must of necessity be the case, since 

 the nutrition of organized structures can only take place 

 by abstraction of matter, directly or indirectly, from the 

 inorganic world. But the arrangement is remarkably 

 different. The manner of this will be considered more par- 

 ticularly hereafter. Suffice it to say now, that in organized 

 matter the number of elements is mostly larger, and their 

 arrangement in an atomic formula requires the use of very 

 high multiples. Its tendency, moreover, on this account, 

 to decomposition, is much greater than that of inorganic 

 matter. It must be remembered, however, that in their 

 chemical constitution there are many more links of con- 

 nection between the two classes of bodies than exist with 

 respect to the other peculiarities just noticed. 



Thus in shape, in capacity and manner of growth, in 



