584 PRIMARY SEAT OF 



the surface of things to the mainspring of all 

 power, whether in living or dead matter. 



In accordance with the universal belief of anti- 

 quity, it was maintained by the illustrious Harvey, 

 that what the Romans termed color vitalis, is the 

 primary and immediate cause of the hearts action, 

 and of vitality in the blood, which he describes 

 as the common bond of union among all parts of 

 the living body. " In quo, vegetativae et sensitive 

 operationes primo elucent, cui calor, primarium 

 et immediatum animae instrumentum, innascitur, 

 qui corporis animaeque commune vinculum est, 

 et quo vehiculo anima omnibus totius corporis 

 partibus influit." (Op. Omnia, p. 388.) He fur- 

 ther maintained that the animating principle is a 

 finite portion of the universal spirit that actuates 

 all nature, termed by the Greeks ^vyy TS Kocrjus, 

 and by the Romans Anima Mundi, which 

 phrases signify soul of the ivorld. 



But this simple and rational doctrine was des- 

 tined to be superseded by the speculations of 

 Willis, Baglivi, Hoffman, Gaubius, and Barthez, 

 who confounded the animating principle with 

 some unknown hypothetical fluid, supposed to be 

 generated in the brain, from which it was conveyed 

 to all parts of the body by nerves. According to 

 Stahl, the organizing principle which he termed 

 the Anima, is endowed with intelligence, and cor- 

 responds with the Qvaig of Hippocrates, with 

 this exception, that he regarded it as an imma- 

 terial essence. 



