The constituent parts of the animal body are 

 altogether the same as those found in unorga- 

 nised matter, and they return to their original 

 unorganic state by degrees, partly during the 

 progress of life, partly when the body, after death, 

 undergoes its final change. And independently 

 of this, there exist processes between the unor- 

 ganic constituent, or elementary particles within 

 the animal body, which have sometimes not the 

 least resemblance to those we see in unorganised 

 matter. We may consider the whole animal 

 Body as an instrument, which, from the nourish- 

 ment it receives, collects materials for continual 

 chemical processes, and of which the chief object 

 is its own support. But, with all the knowledge 

 we possess of the forms of the body, considered 

 as an instrument, and of the mixture and mutual 

 bearings of the rudiments to one another, yet the 

 cause of most of the phenomena within the Ani- 

 mal Body lies so deeply hidden from our view, 

 that it certainly will never be found. We call 

 this hidden cause vital power; and like many 

 others, who before us have in vain directed their 

 deluded attention to this point, we make use of 

 a word to which we can affix no idea. This 

 power to live belongs not to the constituent parts 

 of our bodies, nor does it belong to them as an 



