AND PHYSICAL FORCES 19 



Vital and Physical Forces " it must be borne in mind that when 

 a physical force gives rise to any one of the modes of vital 

 force, what takes place is not so much a direct conversion or 

 transmutation of the force itself, but rather that the physical 

 force expends itself in bringing about new collocations of matter — 

 either in converting not-living into living matter, or in altering 

 the molecular constitution of matter which is already alive. The 

 properties of this matter being what we call ' vital,' it may be said 

 that the physical force has been transmuted into vital force. 

 Only when understood in this sense, are the words ' conversion ' 

 or ' transmutation ' suitable for the expression of what really 

 occurs. The almost necessary use of these terms has nevertheless 

 tended to foster an erroneous impression, which has exercised its 

 misleading influence by causing certain physiologists to suppose 

 that a special ' vital force ' is needed to effect the transmutation 

 of incident physical forces within the bodies of living organisms. 

 In reality, no special force is in the least needed. Any pre- 

 existing physical force, acting upon an organism, expends itself 

 in producing those molecular rearrangements which, with others, 

 contribute to enable the organism to carry on its so-called ' vital ' 

 processes. If the doctrine of the Correlation of the Vital and of 

 the Physical Forces is admitted to be true, it can, we think, be 

 accepted only in this form, and the vitalists must give up their last 

 stronghold — we cannot even grant them a right to assume the 

 existence of a special ' vital force ' whose peculiar office it is 

 to effect the transformation of physical forces. The notion that 

 such a force exists is based upon no evidence ; it is a mere 

 postulate — an appanage of obsolete views. The assumption of 

 its existence carries with it nothing but confusion and is totally 

 adverse to the general doctrine of the Correlation of the Forces. 

 Need we say more ? Does it not follow that if living units of the 

 simplest kind are ever now evolved in solutions containing organic 

 matter, such rudimentary forms of life are to be regard^ as 

 resulting from the collocations of organic molecules in peculiar 

 modes, brought about by the expenditure of incident physical 

 forces ? ' 



' Living matter, like crystalline matter, is only formable by a synthesis of 

 its elements. As Crystals have not the power of self-multiplication they have 

 only one mode of production. But because Organisms have reproductive powers, 

 the obviousness of these modes of increase has sufficed to cast doubts upon the 

 reality of the independent origin of living units. 



