ORGANOGNOSY. 199 



or is cast upon the shore, or in the mud. In the last 

 case it continues to lie, and is only supplied with light, 

 and oxydized by the air upon the upper side ; in the 

 first case, on the contrary, it rolls about constantly in 

 the water, and is alternately illumed and oxydized upon 

 all sides. The first vesicle thus obtains a single axis 

 from above downwards, between light and darkness ; 

 the second on the contrary gains a multitude of axes 

 from without inwards, where it is alone dark and deoxy- 

 dized. The first is thus devoid of any middle point, and 

 finds its centre of gravity only in the middle of the 

 earth, while the latter acquires its centre of gravity in its 

 Interior, and this renders the Interior polar towards all 

 points of the circumference. The plant is only one axis, 

 or from having no middle point, is properly only one 

 radius, which has its centre in the centre of the earth ; 

 the animal is an infinity of axes or radii, which concur 

 or converge in the creature itself ; the plant is an inverted 

 cone, the animal an infinity of cones or a globe. 



1002. Thus the planetary organism originates, if the 

 primary vesicle having been taken out of the water is 

 given up to the earth, to immobility and to darkness. 

 But the light-organism arises, if the primary vesicle con- 

 tinue in water, or in the Moveable and Diaphanous. 

 Here then in their genesis an essential difference is de- 

 clared between the two organic worlds. Planetary or- 

 ganism originates, if the vesicle develops itself apart from 

 the water, in which case it is withdrawn on one side 

 from the light; but the light-organism originates if it 

 remains in water itself, where it can be supplied on 

 all sides with light. The essence of both is expressed 

 by the names darkness-organism and ^y/^-organism. 



1003. The basis of both kingdoms is therefore ex- 

 actly similar ; the vesicle and the mucus lie at the foun- 

 dation of both, It depends solely upon the surround- 

 ing element, whether out of one and the same mass 

 this or that organism should arise, or rather upon the 

 active influence of the light, this being conditioned only 

 by the elements. Not a word can accordingly be spoken 



