THE VITAL POWER OF THE BIOPLASM. 209 



truly mental, while the expression of thought is but 

 a result of the influence of the mental vital action 

 upon the mechanism concerned in expression, with- 

 out which thought could not be rendered evident to 

 another person. A great distinction must indeed be 

 drawn between the thought and the expression of the 

 thought. 



From the foregoiug observations the reader will be 

 led to conclude that I regard a nervous apparatus 

 as consisting essentially of fine fibres and masses of 

 bioplasm, which form uninterrupted circuits. The 

 fibres are continuous with the bioplasts, of which 

 some are central, some peripheral, and grow from 

 them. By chemical changes in the matter formed by 

 the bioplasts electrical currents may be produced, and 

 these traverse the fibres. The currents varying in 

 intensity according to the changes in the nerve cells 

 would be afi'ected by pressure upon the nerve cords 

 which transmit them. Currents emanating from bio- 

 plasts at one part of the circuit would influence the 

 changes in the bioplasts in another part, and the last 

 react upon the first. 



The formation of the nerve fibres and cells — the 

 construction of the nerve mechanism, must be referred 

 to the properties or powers of the bioplasm which pre- 

 ceded its formation. The action of the mechanism 

 may be said to be due directly to physical and che- 

 mical change, but the matter which is changed, it 

 must be borne in mind, was formed by bioplasm, and 

 owed its origin to bioplasm. The higher phenomena 

 of the nervous system are probably due primarily to 

 the movements of biojjlasm by which some part of 

 the nerve mechanism is acted upon. The movement 

 of the bioplasm is vital, occurs only during life, 

 and is due to vital power — which vital power of this, 

 the highest form of bioplasm in nature, is in fact the 

 living I. 



