THE LAWS OF LITE. 233 



Vegetable infusions, while decaying, swarm with 

 animalculae ; and putrefying animal bodies are 

 thronged with forms of life. 



In the act of digestion, the first stage is one of 

 decompositon of the food. 



Blood is arterialized by the union of oxygen with 

 a part of its constituents. 



In one form of the multiplication of cells, a parent 

 cell decays while others are developed within it. 



In the successive formation of hairs, the new hair, 

 as described by Mr. Paget, appears to be developed 

 as an offshoot from its decaying predecessor. 



Functional activity, which ever involves a disin- 

 tegrating change, is a cause of increased energy 

 of the nutritive process. 



The decomposing changes which constitute secre- 

 tion, as in the liver for example, appear to institute 

 an increased development of the vital condition of the 

 blood. 



I have enumerated these simple and well-known 

 facts with a view of indicating the broad basis upon 

 which the general idea of the direct dependence of 

 vital on chemical processes reposes. 



