ON LIFE. 365 



tionary. The mathematical and mechanical phy- 

 sycians long retarded the true knowledge of phy- 

 siology ; and we are now nearly as much embar- 

 rassed by the fashion of the day, of applying, to 

 investigate the laws of life, the mode of reasoning 

 which has been successful in the chemical sciences. 

 There are but two men who have enlightened us 

 on the doctrine of the life of the body, Hallerand 

 Hunter — and this is, in other words, saying, that 

 it is altogether a recent science. 



It is necessary to premise thus much, that the 

 reader may not feel disappointment, if he fail, at 

 first, in attempting to comprehend the subject. 

 What does he understand by life ? — That intelli- 

 gence, feeling, and motion, which he sees mani- 

 fested in the animal body. If, in this understand- 

 ing of the term, he hears that Mr. Hunter discov- 

 ered that there was life in the blood, it is possible 

 that he may receive the announcement with the 

 same ridicule with which the world at first heard 

 it. But let us see how the subject opened upon 

 Mr. Hunter's mind. He was engaged in minute 

 inquiries into the gradual developement of the 

 chicken in the egg. On breaking one egg it was 

 found perfectly sweet; the next was in a high 

 state of putrescence. What, then, was the differ- 

 ence of their condition ? Now let us not confound 

 this question with what is termed organization. 

 The chick at this time is concealed within a vesi- 

 cle not larger than the head of a pin. It is the 

 white and yolk of the egg that we are examining. 

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