IV CAPITAL-THE MOTHER OF LABOUR. 149 



once formed part of the stock, or capital, of a 

 powder-maker: and it is not only certain natural 

 bodies which are collected and stored in the gun- 

 powder, but the labour bestowed on the operations 

 mentioned may be figuratively said to be incor- 

 porated in it. 



In principle, the work-stuff stored in the mus- 

 cles of the new-born child is comparable to that 

 stored in the gun-barrel. The infant is launched 

 into altogether new surroundings; and these op- 

 erate through the mechanism of the nervous ma- 

 chinery, with the result that the potential energy 

 of some of the work-stuff in the muscles which 

 bring about inspiration is suddenly converted into 

 actual energy; and this, operating through the 

 mechanism of the respiratory apparatus, gives 

 rise to an act of inspiration. As the bullet is 

 propelled by the " going off " of the powder, as 

 it might be said that the ribs are raised and the 

 midriff depressed by the " going off " of certain 

 portions of muscular work-stuff. This work-stuff 

 is part of a stock or capital of that commodity 

 stored up in the child's organism before birth, at 

 the expense of the mother; and the mother has 

 made good her expenditure by drawing upon the 

 capital of food-stuffs which furnished her daily 

 maintenance. 



Under these circumstances, it does not appear 

 to me to be open to doubt that the primary act of 

 outward labour in the series which necessarily ac- 



