777 AT /* A7, /' 1 > 7 . 1 />/>/.' A'SS. 479 



inorganic,* :md afterward with profound insight to organic 

 nature. 'I'ln- lie world, though diawing all its 



nutriment from invisible sources, was proved in. 

 to general- anew either matter or force. Its matter 18 for 



ost part transmuted gas; its force transformed solar 



The animal world was proved to be equally un- 



ill its motive energies being referred to the com- 



bustion of its food. The activity of each animal, as a 



whole, was proved to be the transferred activity of its mole- 



cules. The muscles were shown to be stores of mechanical 



jr, potential until unlocked by the nem-s. and then 

 resulting iti muscular contraction*. T! at which 



messages fly to and fro along the nerves was determined by 

 Helmholt/. and found to be, not, a.s had been piv\ iou.-ly 

 supposed, equal to that of light or electricity, but less than 

 the speed of sound less even than that of an eagle. 



This was the work of the physicist: then came the con- 

 quests of the comparative anatomist and physiologist, 



ing the structure of every animal, and the function 

 of every organ in the whole biological series, from the 

 lowest zoophyte up to man. The nervous system ha<: 

 made the object of profound and continued study, the 

 wonderful and, ut bottom, entirely mysterious controlling 

 power which it exercises over the whole organism, ph 

 and mental, being recognized more and more. Thought 

 could not he kept back from a subject so profoundly 



stive. Besides the physical life dealt with hy M : . 

 Darwin, there is a psychical life presenting similar 

 gradations, and asking equally for a solution. How are 

 the different grades and orders of Mind to be accounted 

 for? What is the principle of growth of that mysterious 

 power which on our planet culminates in Keason? These 

 are questions which, though not thrusting themseh 

 forcibly upon the attention of the general public, had not 

 only ocenpied many reflecting minds, but had been formally 



iied by one of them before the " Origin of Species 5 ' 

 appeared. 



With the mass of materials furnished by the physicist 

 and physiologist in his hand-. Mr. Herbert Spencer, 

 tw.-nty years ago, Bought to graft upon this basis a system 



* Dr. IWtliulil lunsli.iwi. ..-I.! sMiiinl vlewn regarding 



the Conner v (V\ in m<>r^;u 



