OPINIONS ON GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY 165 



"Before the containable fluids absorbed by the 

 small, jelly-like mass in question have been expelled 

 by the new portions of the same fluids which reach 

 there, they can then deposit certain of the contained 

 fluids they carry along, and the movements of the 

 contained fluids may apply these substances to the 

 containing parts of the newly organized microscopic 

 being. In this way originates the first of the vital 

 functions which becomes established in the simplest 

 organism, i.e., nutrition. The environing containable 

 fluids are, then, for the living body of very great 

 simplicity, a veritable chyle entirely prepared by 

 nature. 



" Mutilation cannot operate without gradually in- 

 creasing the consistence of the parts contained within 

 the minute new organism and without extending its 

 dimensions. Hence soon arose the second of the 

 vital functions, growth or internal development." 



First Faculty of Animal Nature. — Then gradually 

 as the continuity of this state of things within the 

 same minute living mass in question increases the 

 consistence of its parts enclosed within and extends 

 its dimensions, a vital orgasm, at first very feeble, 

 but becoming progressively more intense, is formed 

 in these enclosed parts and renders them suscep- 

 tible of reaction against the slight impression of the 

 fluids in motion which they contain, and at the same 

 time renders them capable of contraction and of dis- 

 tention. Hence the origin of animal irritability and 

 the basis of feehng, which is developed wherever a 

 nervous fluid, susceptible of locating the effects in 

 one of several special centres, can be formed. 



" Scarcely will the living corpuscle, newly animal- 

 ized, have received any increase in consistence and in 



