Self -repair of Crystals. 1 1 3 



volition. The act of self-repair is clearly connected 

 with this, and is not limited to living structures ; Sir 

 David Brewster observed that if a portion of the 

 surface of a perfect crystal of alum is very slightly 

 abraded by dissolving a film from it, and the crystal 

 be then immersed during a very brief period in a 

 saturated solution of alum, the abraded portion repairs 

 itself. The subjects of "malformation of crystals," 

 and " diseases of crystals " have been scientifically 

 investigated. The power of selection (or rather of 

 apparent selection) is no doubt a result of the com- 

 bined action of causation and of the inherent 

 properties of bodies, and depends, like consciousness, 

 upon difference of impression, the strongest suitable 

 influence determining. If apparent selection can thus 

 be performed by inanimate matter, we should not, 

 except for a very sufficient reason, assume the 

 existence in living creatures, of a special occult power 

 to perform the same function. In the selection of 

 ideas also the intellect acts according to the purely 

 scientific method. 



We frequently appear to mentally adapt ourselves 

 to particular circumstances when we are really deter- 

 mined by causes ; and this apparent adaptation is 

 also seen in ordinary physical and chemical phenomena 

 The course of a river for instance, adapts itself to the 

 configuration of the country through which it flows, 

 and if it cannot pass wholly by one channel, as in 

 seasons of flood, or on occasions of accidental obstruc- 

 tion, it travels through several ; and a similar result 



