158 HIE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



Now, it is a remarkable fact that there is a special force, whose 

 function it is to raise matter from each plane to the plane above, and 

 to execute movements on the latter. Thus, it is the function of chemi- 

 cal affinity alone to raise matter from No. 1 to No. 2, as well as to 

 execute all the movements, back and forth, by action and reaction ; 

 in a word, to produce all the phenomena on No. 2 which together 

 constitute the science of chemistry. It is the prerogative of vegetable 

 life-force alone to lift matter from No. 2 to No. 3, as well as to execute 

 all the movements on that plane, which together constitute the science 

 of vegetable physiology. It is the prerogative of animal life-force 

 alone to lift matter from No. 3 to No. 4, and to preside over the move- 

 ments on this plane, which together constitute the science of animal 

 physiology. But there is no force in Nature capable of raising matter 

 at once from No. 1 to No. 3, or from No. 2 to No. 4, without stopping 

 and receiving an accession of force, of a different kind, on the interme- 

 diate plane. Plants cannot feed upon elements, but only on chemical 

 compounds : animals cannot feed on minerals, but only on vegetables. 

 We will see in the sequel that this is the necessary result of the prin- 

 ciple of conservation of force in vital phenomena. 



It is well known that atoms, in a nascent state, i. e., at the moment 

 of their separation from previous combination, are endowed with pecul- 

 iar and powerful affinity. Oxygen and nitrogen, nitrogen and hydro- 

 gen, hydrogen and carbon, which show no affinity for each other under 

 ordinary circumstances, readily unite when one or both are in a nascent 

 condition. The reason seems to be that, when the elements of a com- 

 pound are torn asunder, the chemical affinity which previously bound 

 them together is set free, ready and eager to unite the nascent ele- 

 ments with whatever they come in contact with. This state of exalted 

 chemical energy is retained but a little while, because it is liable to be 

 changed into some other form of force, probably heat, and is therefore 

 no longer chemical energy. To illustrate by the planes : matter fall- 

 ing down from No. 2 to No. 1 generates force by which matter is 

 lifted from No. 1 to No. 2. Decomposition generates the force by 

 which combination is effected. This principle underlies every thing I 

 shall further say. 



There are, therefore, two ideas or principles underlying this paper: 

 1. The correlation of vital with physical and chemical forces ; 2. That 

 in all cases vital force is produced by decomposition — is transformed 

 by nascent affinity. Neither of these is new. Grove, many years 

 ago, brought out, in a vague manner, the idea that vital force was 

 correlated with chemical and physical forces. 1 In 1848 Dr. Freke, 

 M. R. I. A., of Dublin, first advanced the idea that vital force of ani- 

 mal life was generated by decomposition. In 1851 the same idea was 

 brought out again by Dr. Walters, of St. Louis. These papers were un- 



1 In 1845 Dr. J. R. Mayer published a paper on " Organic Motion and Nutrition." I 

 have not seen it. 



