28 LECTURE I. 



of generally distributed nutriment, and 

 could also prepare from it a still greater 

 variety of dissimilar substances. Mr. Hun- 

 ter shewed us that Life was also an ^q,rchi- 

 tect, that it built up a great variety of cu- 

 rious structures or edifices, in which it 

 continued to reside and execute its future 

 functions. No unprejudiced person can, I 

 think, possibly doubt that it is by the 

 active power of Life such effects are pro- 

 duced. Mr. Hunter shewed that the ac- 

 tions of life are various, that in nerves they 

 are rapid, though not so forcible as in mus- 

 cles. By such actions he accounted for the 

 sympathies of remote organs, and the 

 instantaneous effects produced on, and by 

 the brain, from and in the remotest parts 

 of the body. He shewed that the most 

 obvious, and in general most surprizing 

 manifestation of vital activity, which is 

 called irritability, was not necessarily con- 

 nected with a muscular structure ; and 

 when apparently connected with the same 

 structure, was subject to considerable va- 

 riations in its acions. By means of the 

 active powers of life, he also saw how it 



