* * 



^4 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE 



CHAPTER L 



THE PERSISTENCE OF FORCE — CORRELATION OF THE VITAL 



AND PHYSICAL FORCES. 



h 



Indestructibility of Matter. Forces modes of motion. The doctrine of 

 Conservation of Energy. History of. The unit of Heat. Con- 

 vertibility of Physical Forces. Indestructibility of Force. Gradual 



grovi^th of doctrine of Correlation of Physical and Vital Forces. 

 Source of Energy manifested in Plants and Animals, Doctrines 

 concerning Animal Heat. Its real mode of Origin. Power of 

 movement in Animals. Laws regulating muscular Contractility* 

 The Muscle a machine in which heat transforms itself into Me- 



F 



chanical Energy, Comparison between Muscle and Steam-Engine. 

 Nervous phenomena. Neurility. Sensory and motor nerves have 

 similar functions. Dependence of Nerve action upon due supply 

 of blood. Remarkable experiments illustrating this. Evolution of 

 heat and increased chemical change accompaniments of Nerve 

 action. Different functions of Nervous System. Relations of Con- 

 sciousness and Mind. Correlations of Consciousness hot ascertain- 

 able. Conclusions. 



■' I 



T 



HE doctrine that Matter is indestructible may 

 nov/ be regarded as one of the most universally 

 accepted utterances of science. It is already firmly 

 rooted, and the belief in its truth is gradually spreading 

 deeper and wider as education advance's. AH must 

 admit that there is an immeasurable difference between 



B % 



y 



» 



