﻿OF 
  THE 
  DOCTRINE 
  OF 
  VITAL 
  AFFINITY. 
  387 
  

  

  with 
  that 
  peculiar 
  structure, 
  endowed 
  with 
  still 
  more 
  peculiar 
  properties, 
  to 
  

   which 
  we 
  give 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  a 
  living 
  Nervous 
  System 
  ; 
  and 
  he 
  has 
  established 
  

   laws, 
  in 
  the 
  execution 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  vegetable 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  animal 
  kingdom 
  

   bears 
  its 
  part, 
  according 
  to 
  which 
  infinite 
  varieties 
  and 
  endless 
  successions 
  of 
  

   nervous 
  systems 
  shall 
  be 
  engendered 
  and 
  supported 
  from 
  a 
  limited 
  quantity 
  of 
  

   the 
  matter 
  originally 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  surrounding 
  our 
  globe, 
  — 
  shall 
  be 
  

   nourished, 
  lodged, 
  protected, 
  and 
  enabled 
  to 
  satisfy 
  the 
  wants 
  and 
  to 
  obey 
  the 
  

   will 
  of 
  their 
  immaterial 
  inhabitants 
  ; 
  but 
  all 
  this 
  innovation 
  on 
  the 
  laws 
  regu- 
  

   lating 
  the 
  matter 
  previously 
  existing 
  on 
  the 
  earth's 
  surface 
  is 
  only 
  transient. 
  

   The 
  same 
  portions 
  of 
  matter 
  which 
  are 
  thus 
  employed, 
  whether 
  they 
  pass 
  through 
  

   vegetable 
  structures 
  only, 
  or 
  minister 
  to 
  the 
  support 
  both 
  of 
  vegetables 
  and 
  ani- 
  

   mals, 
  are 
  restored 
  unchanged 
  to 
  the 
  reservoir 
  whence 
  they 
  came, 
  — 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  

   case 
  more 
  rapidly 
  and 
  frequently, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  structures 
  thus 
  main- 
  

   tained, 
  — 
  and 
  are 
  ready 
  to 
  run 
  the 
  same 
  course 
  again 
  when 
  again 
  placed 
  in 
  pre- 
  

   sence 
  of 
  living 
  beings. 
  Like 
  the 
  figures 
  of 
  snow 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  imagination 
  of 
  

   Southey 
  figured 
  the 
  magician 
  Okba, 
  breathing 
  the 
  breath 
  of 
  life 
  every 
  morning, 
  

   that 
  they 
  might 
  people 
  the 
  surrounding 
  wilderness, 
  and 
  charm 
  the 
  solitude 
  of 
  

   his 
  daughter 
  Leila, 
  they 
  all 
  receive 
  vitality 
  only 
  for 
  their 
  day, 
  and 
  

  

  " 
  Ever 
  when 
  night 
  closes, 
  

   They 
  melt 
  away 
  again 
  ;" 
  

  

  and 
  such 
  of 
  them 
  as 
  have 
  served 
  as 
  the 
  habitations 
  of 
  mental 
  acts 
  or 
  feelings 
  then 
  

   " 
  restore 
  the 
  spirit 
  to 
  Him 
  who 
  gave 
  it." 
  The 
  provisions 
  for 
  the 
  temporary 
  

   maintenance, 
  for 
  the 
  protection 
  and 
  comfort, 
  for 
  the 
  sentient 
  and 
  mental 
  enjoy- 
  

   ments, 
  and 
  the 
  eternal 
  reproduction, 
  of 
  this 
  infinite 
  number 
  and 
  variety 
  of 
  sensi- 
  

   tive 
  beings, 
  out 
  of 
  a 
  limited 
  quantity 
  of 
  certain 
  chemical 
  elements 
  contained 
  in 
  

   the 
  earth's 
  atmosphere, 
  — 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  progressive 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  human 
  mind, 
  

   as 
  the 
  destined 
  lord 
  of 
  this 
  Creation, 
  — 
  are 
  the 
  great 
  Laws 
  of 
  Life, 
  the 
  investiga- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  this 
  science. 
  The 
  power 
  of 
  perceiving 
  their 
  adapta- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  their 
  object, 
  and 
  of 
  appreciating 
  the 
  grandeur 
  of 
  the 
  design, 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   highest 
  privileges 
  of 
  our 
  nature 
  ; 
  and 
  without 
  pretending 
  to 
  be 
  qualified 
  to 
  assign 
  

   the 
  respective 
  merit 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  physiologists, 
  geologists, 
  and 
  chemists, 
  who 
  

   have 
  illustrated 
  the 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  this 
  general 
  view 
  of 
  life, 
  — 
  of 
  Cuvier, 
  Dal- 
  

   ton, 
  Prout, 
  Liebig, 
  Brongniart, 
  Prevost, 
  Dumas, 
  and 
  Bousingault, 
  and 
  their 
  

   numerous 
  friends 
  and 
  followers, 
  — 
  we 
  may 
  all 
  congratulate 
  ourselves 
  on 
  having 
  

   lived 
  in 
  the 
  age 
  when 
  so 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  designs 
  of 
  Infinite 
  Wisdom 
  for 
  the 
  regula- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  this 
  world 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  manifest 
  to 
  mankind. 
  

  

  But 
  when 
  we 
  inquire 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  minutely 
  into 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  changes 
  

   constituting 
  this 
  great 
  vital 
  circulation, 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  must 
  appear 
  obvious, 
  that 
  

   the 
  most 
  essential 
  of 
  all 
  are 
  and 
  must 
  be 
  strictly 
  chemical 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  me 
  

   that 
  the 
  grandeur 
  of 
  the 
  design 
  is 
  not 
  clearly 
  perceived, 
  unless 
  we 
  fix 
  atten- 
  

  

  