LECTURE II. 73 



to establish it as a rational Theory. The 

 contemplation of this subject at large, is 

 fitter for meditation in the closet than for 

 discussion in the lecture-room. I shall, 

 therefore, merely mention by way of ex- 

 citing attention to some of the phsenomena 

 alluded to, that it seems impossible to ac- 

 count for those which Mr. Hunter con- 

 sidered as the effect of sympathies between 

 remote organs, or for those consequences 

 of idiosyncrasy which have been men- 

 tioned, upon any other supposition than 

 that of a subtile substance, prone to act, 

 or liable to fail in action, pervading the 

 body, the affections of which can with 

 electrical celerity be propagated throughout 

 the system. 



I have further to show that Mr. Hunter's 

 Theory of Life is adequate to explain the 

 cause of the prevention of putrefaction, 

 and the regulation of temperature. If the 

 vital principle of Mr. Hunter be not elec- 

 tricity, at least we have reason to believe 

 it is of a similar nature, and has the power 

 of regulating electrical operations. That 



