DOES THE SUN FORM THE HEART ? 33 



But now let us withdraw for a time from the 

 dazzling speculations and fancies among which 

 the physicist loves to dwell, and study for a while 

 sober realities, facts of observation, in order 

 to ascertain if from these we can learn anything 

 that may assist us in forming an opinion as to 

 the probable nature of the powers in living 

 matter, the working results of which are so 

 very different from those known of any forces 

 acting upon matter in every other state. Let 

 us carefully examine the actual structure of a 

 tissue, and study carefully the manner in which 

 its growth occurs, in the hope that, from the 

 facts ascertained in the course of the enquiry, 

 we may be able to decide if there is any good 

 reason for believing that the physical doctrine 

 of life rests upon a sure basis of fact, and 

 determine if such a dogma as " the Sun forms 

 the heart " is admissible. 



It is a matter of indifference to me what 

 tissue be selected for the investigation, and it is 

 of no importance whether it be taken from an 

 organism high or low in the scale of created 

 beings, whether it is animal or vegetable, 

 young or old. But as the heart has been ad- 

 duced as an organ actually formed by the Sun, 



D 



