



426 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



change in the locality and relative position of the 

 elementary particles of animal substances \ outside the 

 organism^ be capable of exerting a very definite in- 

 fluence upon a number of organic substances which are 

 brought in contact with them * if those substances are 

 thereby decomposed, while new compounds are formed 

 from their elements ; and if it be considered that the 

 class of substances susceptible of such changes as take 

 place in fermentation^ comprises all those which are 

 the constituents of the food of man and animals, who 



can doubt 



the 



^ Belonging to the class known as * ferments.' 



2 This view was very clearly expressed by Mr. Hinton in his ' Life in 

 Nature/ pp. 41, 42— an interesting work, which I have only seen since 

 this Chapter was in type. 



!»' 



i from our o 

 ioff the esseni 

 both the ' 



Chcmica 



*, 



ical affinities 



'■■' 



in contin 

 . Nutriti 



important parts in the vital process, or that they have 



a powerful share in the alterations which the materials itiical agencies, i 



of food undergo when they are converted into fat^ ri lead to the 



blood, or constituents of organs ^ ? We know, indeed, 



that there is in all parts of the " living " animal body an 



incessant change going on ; that living particles of this 



body are eliminated; that their constituents, whether 



fibrin, albumen, gelatin, or whatever else they may be, 



rearrange themselves as new compounds; that their 



elements unite to form new products. In accordance 



with our experience, we must presume that in virtue of 



this activity, there is at all places where it obtains, and 



corresponding to its direction and intensity, a parallel 



alteration in the character and composition of con- 



putative 



proce 



■■^ 



to commor 



:s which 

 teoent 



are c 



units 



of the fi; 



" '^ like th( 



■' Nt of 





inh 



en 



"^^tural la, 



