Life of Plants and Animals 203 



constituent cells, any maladjustment of these lesser 

 lives betrays itself in abnormal conditions of the final 

 product. 



The healthy life of the constituent cells shows 

 itself in the normal performance of their functions; 

 and this depends, in the first place, on the proper 

 balance between anabolic or constructive processes, 

 and catabolic or destructive processes (normal nutri- 

 tive processes), and secondly on their normal reaction 

 to impressed forces and influences. Such normal 

 reaction is necessary to the proper performance of 

 function, and is dependent on the proper maintenance 

 of that equilibrium between waste and repair which 

 maintains the integrity of the cell. Every reaction 

 involves waste, which must be made good by nutri- 

 tion if a similar reaction is to follow. Any failure 

 to restore the nutritive equilibrium shows itself in a 

 modified reaction, as is abundantly shown in muscle 

 fatigue artificially produced by electrical stimulation. 



DISEASE. Abnormal states of the cells of the body, 

 be it from imperfect nutrition or from other causes, 

 tend to aggravate the disorder by the disturbances 

 this occasions in the organism as a whole. General 

 disease of the whole organism may thus be produced, 

 which, reacting on the constituent cells, aggravates 

 their disorder. In both health and disease, therefore, 

 the relation of a whole to the part and of the part to 

 the whole is most intimate and important. 



THE PRIMITIVE MIND. The health of the cell 

 reveals itself in the proper performance of its various 

 functions and in its normal reaction to its environ- 

 ment. In the free swimming-cell adaptation to envi- 

 ronment often has the appearance of a spontaneous 

 mental act, when disturbing causes are not discernible, 

 and of reflex action when they are evident. We are 

 strongly tempted to infer, therefore, that these reac- 

 tions to environment are the simplest manifestations 



