Researches in the Theory and Calculus of Operations. 315 



the food which it encounters and devours, it follows that, 

 like a projectile from the mouth of the cannon, which is 

 gradually overcome in its ascending course by the resist- 

 ance of the air and the attraction of gravity, and finally 

 falls to the level from which it rose ; so the vital germ, be 

 it of animal or vegetable origin, when projected into its 

 proper congenial reactive medium, pursues a rising trajec- 

 tory until the active force of the leading component is worn 

 down to an equality with the reactive component force 

 furnished by the resisting medium, food, water, air, etc. ; a 

 level course then ensues for a time, until reaction prevails 

 over action, the energy of combination is reduced, the tra- 

 jectory bends downwards, the positive and negative phases 

 approach to coincidence in time, and finally meet in equi- 

 librium (a caput mortuum). Like a chemical operation 

 resulting in the deposit of a neutral (quiescent) precipitate, 

 so the prolonged chemico-vital operation finally closes its 

 bodily career by depositing its quota of shells, bones, etc. 



Before communion, the germ A and egg A' (fig. 50) are 

 in equilibrium with their surrounding media. Arriving in 

 contact, the intervening medium is displaced, the atoms a 

 and a' encounter and a new state of equilibrium is formed 

 by combination or interfusion of substance (which is force), 

 thus constituting a resultant or tertium quid; which resultant 

 substance unites with either A or A', as determining the 

 progeny to be male or female. In the former determina- 

 tion, A enlarges or grows and A' correspondingly dimi- 

 nishes, as indicated by the figures B and B'; and of course 

 in the latter determination, it is A' that enlarges while A 

 diminishes. In the second condition B and B', the same 

 kind of composition takes place, with successive repetitions 

 until the entire original mass of A and A' are united in one 

 individual body (the embryo), which continues its growth 

 till reaching a bulk C =» A + A', when the increasing dis- 

 tention bursts the enclosing shell, and a new medium is 

 entered upon. 



