THE NATURE OF LTFE. 343 



7. All vital power is invariably associated with matter. 

 There is no question of " vital force " resident in matter 

 g-enerally. Any such notion is absolutely untenable. Every 

 living particle, hoAvever minute it may be, is unquestionably 

 matter ; but, as it seems to me, tJie matter of this living 

 jyarticle is controlled, governed, caused to act in a certain waii, 

 by the life or vital jyoiver, vitality, briefly associated loitk it. 

 That one living particle may be detached from others is 

 certain, for a few living particles can be easily killed, while 

 their immediate neighbours may live, and grow, and form. 



What becomes of the life is another matter. It seems to 

 me when a living particle dies, better to say, that it ceases, 

 for there is no evidence whatever that life power, vitality, is 

 transformed into anything else. No one has brought forioard 

 any proof to favovr the view that icheji living matter dies the life 

 poiver becomes converted, into any other form or mode of force. 

 I conclude that if it were possible to get a quantity of matter 

 actually living, and to place it under circumstances which 

 ensured its sudden death, it would weigh exactly the same 

 the moment after death as it did the moment before death 

 when it was living. The dead matter would of course 

 soon change. Evaporation would go on and this loss would 

 necessarily cause a difference in weight ; but I imagine in 

 the same matter, alive or dead, there would be no difference 

 in weight. Neither in any experiment, as far as I know, 

 has it been shown that when living matter dies any force or 

 energy or any other form or physical agency or factor is set 

 free and can be identified — from the highest to the very 

 lowest living creature — from a particle of living matter 

 however " crude " or imperfect, or in a condition " about 

 to become living," — anything that can be seen, weighed, 

 measured or touched, thrown on a screen, or separated 

 from the matter with which it was in life, associated, or in 

 any way isolated. Vital power is, no doubt, well expressed 

 by a distinguished philosopher of our day as '' a factor ivhich 

 no physical research tvliatever, can disclose or identify, or got the 

 remotest glimpse of." Tliis is the very vital power, the 

 existence of which I claim to have proved and the absence of 

 which from any form of living matter now existing or capable 

 of being caused to exist is impossible. I challenge proof — I 

 hold this view as more than an opinion — as a fact of nature. 

 1 challenge the author, or some of his friends, to publicly con- 

 demn me, to criticise me as they like, for I venture to think I 

 can defend my view. Let anyone, if hecan, show us another way 



