GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 819 



tion of the abamia, as in the case of amber or steel, given ' mag- 

 netisation' and attractable substances at due distance. 



The term * living,' in the one case, is correlative with the term 

 1 magnetic ' in the other. Devitalise the sarcode, unmagnetise 

 the steel, and both cease to manifest their respective vital or 

 magnetic phenomena. In that respect both are ( defunct.' Only 

 the steel resists much longer the surrounding decomposing 

 agencies. 



A man perceives a ripe fruit : if he can and will, he stretches 

 out his hand, plucks, brings to his mouth, masticates, swallows, 

 and digests it. 



The question then arises whether the difference between such 

 series of actions in the man and the attractive and assimilative 

 movements of the amasba, be less or greater, than the difference 

 between these acts of the amaeba and the attracting and retain- 

 ing acts of the magnet. 



More may be said on both questions than I have here space for ; 

 but, when all is said, the question, I think, may be put with some 

 confidence as to the quality of the ultimate reply and the affinity 

 to truth, and liberty to accept it, in the equal respondent, viz., 

 whether the amaebal phenomena are so much more different, or so 

 essentially different, from the magnetic phenomena than they are 

 from the mammalian phenomena, as to necessitate the invocation 

 of a special miracle for their manifestation ? 



Magnetic phenomena are sufficiently wonderful, exemplifying, 

 as they do, one of those subtle, interchangeable, may we not say 

 6 immaterial,' modes of force which endows the metal with the 

 power of attracting, selecting, and making to move a substance 

 extraneous to itself. It is analogically conceivable that the 

 same Cause which has endowed His world with power conver- 

 tible into magnetic, electric, thermotic and other forms or modes 

 of force, has also added the conditions of conversion into the vital 

 mode. 



Nerve-force we know to be convertible into electric energy, 

 and reciprocally : and from the electric force, so induced, magnetic 

 and other modes have been derived (vol. i. p. 357). The direc- 

 tion, then^ in which may be anticipated the replies to the ulti- 

 mate question, will be toward an admission of the originating 

 and vitalising of the primary jelly-speck or sarcode-granule, by 

 the operation of a change of force forming part of the constitution 

 of Kosmos ; not contrary to its ordained laws, in the sense in 

 which ' miracle ' or the f interposition of special creative act,' is 

 rightly understood. 



3 g2 



