COMPARED WITH THOSE OF ANIMALS. 47 



from their peculiarities of form, their secretions, and their 

 different periods of vital activity. There appears to be a 

 division of organic labor among them and a relation of 

 mutual dependency, yet each contributes in its own way to 

 the general life of the organism, and their combined action 

 seems to be absolutely necessary to its healthy evolution 

 from the seed, spore, or ovum. 



We have endeavored to invite the attention of physiolo- 

 gists to the fact of the individuality of the cells of plants 

 and animals. There can be little doubt, we think, that the 

 cells of all organized beings are subject to laws of develop- 

 ment not only en masse, but separately and individually 

 considered. As yet, however, this special physiology of the 

 cells is very little understood. In this respect we believe 

 vegetable matter to be peculiarly instructive. 



ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE VEGETABLE AND 

 ANIMAL TISSUES. 



The mucus or protoplasm which forms the nidus of 

 vegetation and animality, is formed by the union of four 

 simple elementary bodies, Carbon (C,) Oxygen (0,) Hydro- 

 gen (H,) and Nitrogen (N.) These bodies enter the organ- 

 ism of plants chiefly in the form of Carbonic acid (CO 2,) 

 water (HO,) and Ammonia (NH 3,) from the soil and atmos- 

 phere, the two grand sources of all vegetable nutrition. 

 When thus united they are called binary compounds. Dex- 

 trine, cellulose, and sugar which are produced by the union 

 of three elementary bodies, viz., Carbon, Hydrogen, and 

 Oxygen, are named ternary compounds; and fibrin, albu- 

 men, and gelatin, which contain Nitrogen in addition to 

 the other elements, are designated as quaternary compounds. 



The organic compounds resulting from the union of these 

 simple elements are termed proximate principles. They 



