114 DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 



water long before the conditions for 

 organic life existed on the earth. 



From these original products of com- 

 bustion, burnable organic matter is 

 formed by decomposition of carbonic 

 acid and water into their elements, car- 

 bon and hydrogen, and by their sub- 

 sequent combination through feebler 

 chemical forces into sugar, starch, etc., 

 which substances through a new com- 

 bustion are again turned into carbonic 

 acid and water. The natural forces 

 cannot spontaneously undertake these 

 transformations that only take place 

 because of artificial arrangements. The 

 processes of nature go in the entirely 

 opposite direction, as we have seen. 



As a matter of fact, the reduction of 

 carbonic acid and water is done 

 through the direct assistance of liv- 

 ing beings. From the sun they take 

 their power. But how ineffective the 

 sun w^ould be, left to itself, is seen 

 already by the fact that carbonic acid 

 is disintegrated at a temperature of 

 1300° C. and water only at 1500°. 



