70 PRESENT-DAY RATIONALISM 



ever, can be produced from life only, and this law would 

 seem to give an indication that the solution of the mystery- 

 is not to be found by considering life as merely a species 

 of energy. It is some time since we gave up the idea 

 that life could generate energy ; it now seems that we 

 must give up the idea that energy can generate life." ^ 



Now in order to show how the various functions of the 

 body are procurable out of food which is " matter stored 

 with energy," Prof. Dolbear asks, " How is this trans- 

 formation of energy in the body effected ? " " Roughly," 

 he says, " there are five different kinds of motion to trace 

 the antecedents of, in the body of any of the higher 

 animals." (i) mechanical; (2) muscular; (3) tempera- 

 ture; (4) transpiration [osmosis?]; (5) nervous. 



As an example of (i) we will say a man walks, i.e., 

 his bones move by mechanical force. For this muscular 

 action (2) is brought into play. To do this nerve force 

 (5) is required. But what sets the nerves working? 

 The Professor does not answer that question. There are 

 two causes : either the mitomatic action of the brain, 

 when a man runs away from an angry bull ; the other is 

 volitional when, after careful deliberation, he chooses to 

 take one road rather than another. He is conscious of 

 the power to choose. 



Prof. Dolbear refers to the senses as recipient of 

 waves, etherial for sight, aerial for hearing, but until 

 these waves reach the brain along the nerves there is 

 neither "light" nor "sound". 



He says all organic phenomena are reducible to 

 physical processes. What physical process is able to 

 convert " waves " into " sensations," or into " conscious- 

 ness " of those sensations ? 



' The Unseen Universe, p. 228, 



