INVESTIGATING ORGANIC FORMS. 213 



Lkcture 2. 



Professor ^loscley's paper coiitaius the germ of what wouM 

 yet form a new epocli in uatiiral science, though known only 

 to a few mathematicians, who probably considered it merely as 

 a curious and ingenious memoir. 



As a very remarkable coincidence, Newton had shown in 

 liis Princiiria that if attraction had generally varied as tlie in- 

 vei-se cube insteatl of as the inverse square of the distance, the 

 heavenly bodies would revolve, not in ellipses but in logarith- 

 mic spirals, rapidly diffuse themselves, and rush off into space. 

 It would be curious that if the law of the square were the law 

 of attraction, the law of the cube might therefore prove to be 

 the law of production. He did not say that this was the case. 

 But if this law of force were admitted, and cellules grew by a 

 certain law, we could thereby explain how all cellules passed 

 off from one another, and how all form was produced — namely, 

 in a rapidly-increasing geometrical ratio, instead of revolving 

 round an axis. Probably the logarithmic spiral would be 

 found to be the law at work in the increase of organic bodies. 



Another remarkable confirmation of the possibility of 

 carrying out the principle of geometrical investigation where 

 we would least expect to find it ; in reference to the forms of 

 the most highly-organised bodies with wliich we are acquainted, 

 but wliich had yet been found to be boimded by geometric 

 figures, has recently been pointed out. 



For the examination of the geometric outline of the human 

 body we are indebted to ^Ir. D. R Hay.* 



P>y the geometrical construction of a diagi-am, we should 

 now be enabled to trace the outline of the skeleton ; and all 

 the leading parts of the body would come out exactly as they 

 ought to be. 



* On till- Ilaman Fiijure, 4to, 1849 ; Xatuntl PrincipUji of Btauttj, 1S52 ; 

 The Science oj licautij, ISiiti. 



