210 Mr H. F. Baxter on Muscular Power. 
for the purpose of extending these views, and show the im- 
portance of its application in the explanation of physiolo- 
gical phenomena. Before doing so, let us endeavour to 
get a clear view of the object we have in view. In animal 
bodies, in man, for example, we have the following forces 
evolved: nerve force, muscular force, heat, and chemical 
force—now these forces are developed during growth, and 
maintained by nutrition. Nerve force and muscular force 
may be considered as the special properties of their respec- 
tive tissues, and dependent upon the peculiar compounds 
(chemical) which form them. These compounds are de- 
rived from the blood, which, on its part, is derived from the 
food, hence we must consider the food as the original source 
from whence the animal body derives its ultimate power. 
Heat and light influence the formation of the various com- 
pounds which go towards forming and maintaining the 
animal structures. Heat and light may also be given out 
and developed during the formation of organic compounds ; 
so that we have heat and hght necessary for the formation 
of the organic compounds, and we also have the same forces 
generated during the disintegration of the compounds. It 
appears to me that a great deal of the misconception and 
confusion which occurs arises in consequence of not keep- 
ing clearly in view the formative actions, and the disinte- 
grating or destructive. actions which take place in the animal 
body. Let us now consider for a moment the animal body 
as a machine doing work. We have nerve work (compris- 
ing mental work and nervous action in general) in which 
nerve force is exhausted ; we have muscular work (com- 
prising muscular contraction or mechanical work), in which 
muscular force is exhausted. The various secretions and 
excretions which take place in the animal body must be 
looked upon in the light of disintegrating actions; they 
cannot be looked upon in the same light as we view the 
generation of nerve force or muscular force ; the compounds 
which constitute the secretions are thrown off, and do not 
form a permanent constituent of the animal body like the 
muscular or nervous tissues, although they may be intended 
for ulterior purposes; the principal office of the secretions — 
and excretions may be to keep and maintain the blood in a — 
