Know Thyself 35 



which flow by the veins or the arteries are not distinct 

 from the blood, any more than the flame of a lamp is 

 distinct from the inflammable vapour that is on fire, 

 but the blood and these spirits signify one and the same 

 thing though different like generous wine and its 

 spirits." 



This reasoning of Harvey's about the spirituous 

 qualities of the blood is not materialistic, as some care- 

 less readers would take for granted. It is not because 

 it no more questions the reality of spiritual qualities, 

 that is, qualities of whatever sort have "power in the 

 living body," than it questions the reality of physical 

 qualities. Blood, notice, not living matter, is what 

 Harvey is talking about. He is not postulating some- 

 thing or other behind blood that explains its life- 

 giving attributes. Nor has the vast chemico-physical 

 knowledge of the blood acquired since Harvey worked, 

 altered one whit his interpretation of the nature of 

 blood. And his mode of reasoning is just as applicable 

 to the brain as to the blood. One of the worst misde- 

 meanors the transcendental physiology of our day is 

 guilty of, is the application of the term epiphenomenon 

 to consciousness. 



While Harvey's researches on the blood system were 

 undoubtedly far and away his best, what he did on 

 generation can not be neglected even in a brief review 

 of his contribution to man's knowledge of himself. The 

 most important aspect of his treatment of this subject 

 is the extent to which he compared man with other 



