LIFE AS ADJUSTMENT 



temporary loss of consciousness, then the con- 

 ^nuance of life will depend upon the ability of 

 le molecular forces within the organism to 

 inng about a redistribution of matter and mo- 

 ion which shall balance the sudden redistribu- 

 ion caused by the blow. Dynamical pathology 

 *gards all diseases as disturbances of the inter- 

 lal equilibrium of the organism, and recovery 

 the restoration of the equilibrium. The avoid- 

 Ince of danger is the coordination of certain 

 actions in anticipation of more or less complex 

 relations about to arise without. If disease and 

 danger be successfully avoided, the death which 

 ensues in old age is due to the diminished plas- 

 ticity of the organism which renders it incapable 

 of responding to external changes. As we saw 

 when treating of the primary aspects of Evo- 

 lution and Dissolution, the evolution of the 

 body, even to the close of life, is character- 

 ized by the integration of its constituent matter, 

 shown in the increasing proportion of solids to 

 fluids, which makes the bones brittle, the mus- 

 cles stiff, and the nerves sluggish. Death from 

 old age ensues just when the consequent molec- 

 ular immobiHty has reached the point at which 

 incident forces can no longer be balanced by 

 internal rearrangements. 



A paragraph will suffice for the exposition of 

 this formula of life in connection with the gen- 

 eral law of evolution. That the evolution of 

 103 



