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of that action in any cell, or aggregate of cells, which form an individual 
plant. 
“ Here, as in the case of animals, only to a far greater extent, the life and 
development and variation of plants, are placed by the Creator within the 
power of man, not to originate a single living atom, but only to modify 
(within certain limits) the results of the various processes. 
“ Thus, after all, the life both of plants and animals, must be ultimately 
traced to Him who is ‘ the Author and Giver of life . 5 55 
Professor O’Dell. — I regret that I had not the advantage of seeing a 
proof of Professor Nicholson’s paper before I came here, as I should then 
have been able to have discussed it better. Nevertheless, I think the whole 
matter lies in a nutshell, the pith and marrow of the question being simply— 
Is there life independent of matter ? We need not go to inferior organisms 
for the answer ; let us seek it in ourselves. I will give a very simple 
illustration, which I think will prove that life exists independently of matter 
and of mind too. You put your fingers on the keys of a piano, and, being 
a good and perfect player, you produce most excellent and harmonious music. 
Stand away from the instrument, and it is to all appearance quite dead : 
there is no music there ; no manifestation of harmony. But does that prove 
that you are dead ? Does it prove that you have ceased to exist ? By no 
means. Well, it is the same with the human mind. There is the body and 
there is the brain, and if the brain does not manifest its power and 
thought, its reflective and perceptive abilities, it is not because the 
mind is dead, but that it has ceased to act upon the corporeal body. It 
cannot be proved that the mind* is dead because there is no manifestation 
of the mental abilities. I will give you another illustration. Take the same 
piano, unstring it, or damage it in some way. Let the same pianist try to 
play upon it, and the result is that you hear the most inharmonious sounds. 
Do you say the pianist is affected ? By no means. You have the same 
pianist, with the same ability ; but he does not produce the same sounds. 
So if any of you should meet with an accident, or be thrown upon a bed of 
sickness : you are living, but you may not manifest intelligence, — the mind 
still exists, though you may only manifest such an amount of intelligence, 
or want of intelligence, as you would look for in an idiot. I think these 
illustrations will suffice to show that the mind may exist quite apart from 
the body, and quite independently of any material existence. 
Dr. Hogg an. — It is always a hazardous thing to attempt to criticise the 
writings of so scientific a man as Professor Nicholson ; but all I have to say 
is in the same direction as he has gone himself. I desire to direct my obser- 
vations especially to one theory which is receiving general support at present 
amongst our greatest minds, namely, that life is merely the sum total, as 
expressed by Professor Nicholson, of the vitality of individual cells — in 
other words, that it is simply organisation in action. Now, we know 
very well, that in the human body we have really two different forms of life 
* Soul or life. 
