LS 
a 
414 ; Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
The major portion of even the obvious museular movements of the 
higher animals, such as the vertebrates, is made either independently of the 
will of the individual, or quite unconsciously, like the automatic motions of 
the organs of speech in reading aloud when the mind is distracted, etc. 
Thus breathing is carried on by the action of muscles which in ordinary 
respiration are not voluntarily exerted. The action of the heart is another 
example of muscular motion entirely independent of our will. The peri- 
staltic action of the intestines, the action of the sphineters, and the co- 
ordination of muscles to retain us in an upright position, are other 
examples. 
Muscular contraction and relaxation are therefore going on continuously 
during life, as are the ciliary movements of some of the mucous mem- 
branes. 
Motion, therefore, is one of the invariable concomitants of life. But 
it may be said that this is merely the result of the conversion of other 
forces into motion. i 
‘I. There are two arguments which seem to me conclusive against this 
view. The first is that organic motion is carried on to a large extent in 
opposition to the other forces, especially to 2ravity, cohesion, and chemical 
affinity. 
Many of the higher Vertebrata afford striking examples of the opposition 
between the action of the muscles and gravity. The usual position of these 
animals when living and awake is rarely maintained if they are suddenly killed. 
Tt may be said that this arises from relaxation of the muscles of the limbs. 
Bui when an ox is pithed—that is, suddenly killed by dividing the spinal cord 
as it issues from the skull—the muscles are not relaxed, but are thrown into 
violent tetanic convulsions—yet the animal drops instantly. Iv the same 
way if a fowl is killed by suddenly beheading it, the headless trunk flutters 
and springs about for several minutes, but ii never stands upright for a 
moment. You could aot make a human skeleton stand upright even if all 
the joints were stiffened by the ligaments being allowed to dry on them. 
The fact that even when we are standing apright we are unconsciously 
balancing ourselves is shown in certain cases of disease of the spinal cord, by 
blindfolding the vatient and then asking him to step ont a few paces. He 
wil] fall if not supported, because he cannot see where to place his feet. In 
the healthy state the céordination of the muscles required for balancing 
ourselves takes place unconsciously. 
IL. fn considering the question whether the force which endows proto- 
plasw with these powers is of a special kind, or merely a combination of 
the other forces or energies of nature, we must remember that a mere blind 
or unintelligent combination of forces would never produce the results we 
