292 ON LIFE AND ORGANISATION. 



of the science of organisation, I propose, before proceeding 

 farther, to consider briefly the more remarkable characteristics 

 of the living organism. 



Every living organism is a distinct system, the constituent 

 parts and powers of which are not only reciprocally adapted 

 to one another, and to the whole, so as to subserve the internal 

 economy of the system ; but are also so adapted as to enable 

 the entire organism to fulfil the external conditions of its 

 existence. The living organism, although a distinct system, 

 is not an isolated one. It is a part of the Cosmos, and as 

 such has three sets of relations — its own internal or structural 

 relations, its relations to other living organisms, and its 

 relations to those localities within which the primary con- 

 ditions of its existence have been determined. These three 

 sets of relations are provided for mainly by the corporeal 

 structure and actions of the organism ; but the first and third 

 are, to a certain extent, and the second is chiefly, fulfilled by 

 the psychical powers. These three sets of relations are, more- 

 over, so connected with the structure and constitution of the 

 organism, that we cannot, in our investigations into the nature 

 of life and organisation, omit the consideration of any one of 

 them. It is a fundamental canon in philosophy, that all the 

 conditions of any question must be taken into consideration. 

 So, in this complex question as to the nature of the living 

 organism, we are bound not to overlook one set of its relations 

 while engaged in the investigation of the others. While 

 tracing the relations of the bodily structure to the internal 

 economy, and to the external conditions of existence of the 

 organism, we must not overlook the corresponding psychical 

 powers with which it is provided ; nor, while inquiring into 

 its psychical manifestations, can we omit the consideration of 

 its somatic peculiarities. 



Here I would also observe, that in attempting to solve 

 the question as to the nature of organisation, physiologists 



