432 BIOLOGY. 



destruction of life, is a destruction of the galvanic pro- 

 cess. Now, the galvanic process is destroyed by suppres- 

 sion, destruction, and separation of its poles. The 

 demolition of poles is a polar equilibration. Poisoning 

 is equilibration of poles on the galvanic organism, or their 

 neutralization. 



2591. The primary change of poles is, however, in 

 the blood. Poisoning is a balancing of the blood-poles. 



2592. Indifferent blood is no longer blood, but chyle 

 or infusorial primary mass. 



2593. The nutritive fluid or chyle is poisoned organic 

 substance. There is no aliment except what is wrought 

 by poison. 



2594. The poisoning of the aliments must take place 

 through the medium of their blood, or their sap. If 

 poison therefore does not get into the blood, the death 

 does not ensue. The digestive juice is poison only for 

 the blood, but not for the other systems. 



2595. Chemical bodies which induce death, act by 

 destruction of the bodies themselves, not merely by their 

 neutralization or excessive polarization. They do not 

 operate very differently from iron when in a state of red 

 heat. Such is the case with sulphuric acid, nitric acid, 

 alkalies and arsenic. 



2596. Now, if these bodies be called poisons, there 

 are thus three kinds of poisons, mineral or chemical, 

 vegetable and animal poisons. 



2597. The chemical poisons destroy the mass ; they 

 convert the Organic into minerals. 



2598. Vegetable poisons reduce the animal to the 

 plant ; they do not effect the destruction of the mass in 

 a general sense, but only that which is purely animal, 

 or the nervous system they are nervous poisons. 



2599. The animal poisons destroy what is vegetable 

 in the animal, or the galvanic process are blood- 

 poisons. 



2600. The saliva is the digestive poison. 



2601. The saliva is not present, in order to macerate, 

 and so prepare the dry aliments for digestion, but to 



