18 INTRODUCTION. 



turn experiences the effects produced by such gene- 

 ral movement, so that in every being life produces 

 as its result a mutual action and re-action of all its 

 parts. 



Life then, in general, presupposes organization in 

 general *, and the life proper to any particular being 

 presupposes the organization proper to such a being, 

 as the movements of a clock presuppose the exist- 

 ence of the clock itself. Thus do we see life only 



* That life pre-supposes organization is the foundation on 

 which the doctrine of organism is erected. How much stronger 

 is the evidence for the converse of this position— namely, that or- 

 ganization presupposes life? An attentive consideration of the 

 phenomena presented by organized bodies, and a fair contrast in- 

 stituted between these and the changes which inanimate matter ex- 

 hibits, will readily convince the mind unbiassed by preconceived 

 notions which of the two doctrines to prefer. 



If we grant, for a moment, that the organization existed before 

 its imputed effects, we are led to inquire how it came to exist. Is 

 there any property or law, independent of life, with which our ex- 

 perience of the phenomena of the particles of matter has made us 

 acquainted, that can explain the manner in which matter first be- 

 came organized, and then assumed certain functions distinct from 

 those displayed by matter in its original and unorganized states ? 

 Do we ever perceive such combinations of matter taking place, 

 independently of life, from which first result organized forms, and 

 afterwards vital operations as a consequence of such forms? To 

 what property of matter can we impute such a wonderful assem- 

 blage of specific textures and organs which constitutes but a single 

 species ; and how come these textures and organs to unite in forms 

 so varied, and yet so uniform, and to present characters appro- 

 priate to numerous classes, genera, and species, before some prin- 

 ciple was in operation, to whose influence we may ascribe such 

 phenomena, since the properties of inanimate matter cannot 

 explain any of the changes essentially vital, and seeing that these 

 properties, without exception, are, in organized bodies, com- 

 pletely subject to superior laws which have no relation with 



