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a definite loss of electricity was needed to produce a definite motion of the 
train. If mental energy was of the same nature, if mental force was simply 
the result of the molecular motion of atoms, it stood to reason that a loss of 
forces must result when mental thought was produced. Undoubtedly every 
mental process was accompanied by organic changes of the brain, and, just as 
when it was said that the food a man consumed kept him warm, so it might 
be said that food caused thought. With regard to the statement that had been 
made, that phosphorus was required for the production of thought, he should 
have been the more struck with this if it were not that some of the lowest 
forms of fungoid life absolutely required a plentiful supply of phosphorus. 
If they wished to grow a certain low type of fungus, they must put phosphate 
into a solution employed for the purpose. If they supposed that the per- 
fection of thought was derivable from the mere presence of phosphorus, let 
them endeavour to conceive the immense amount of mental energy that 
must reside in yeast. It was much nearer the mark to suppose that 
phosphorus was more closely connected with life in some way or other than 
with thought ; but, even if this were so, life was not expressible in terras of 
motion ; that was to say, phosphorus is burnt in the brain, and there was 
less of the phosphorous compounds in the brain, and more of the highly 
oxydised compound in the body, after thought than before. But there was a 
certain amount of heat produced in the burning of that phosphorus, and it did 
not matter w^hether the brain thought it or a spore of fungus consumed it. 
Throughout the whole of the changes of the body they could not find the faint- 
est trace of connexion between the amount of physical energy and the amount 
of mental energy. It had been well put by Professor Tyndall that there was no 
such connexion, and it would be well to keep this before the mind, because if 
it were true it was absolutely fatal to the idea that thought Avas simply the 
result of molecular motion, — it might be accompanied by it, but it simply 
ran alongside of it, if this were true ; for, if the doctrine of the correlation 
of the physical forces were to be accepted as a fact, it was perfectly certain 
that no mental thought could be produced into the bargain. If physical 
energy could produce physical energy, it could not produce mental energy 
without suffering loss, and thus the large universities must greatly interfere 
with the molecular motion of the universe, and, he should think, must 
ultimately materially diminish the temperature. 
Mr. Hassell urged the gratuitous distribution of such papers as the one 
just read ; the “ Secular Propagandist Society ” were sowing broadcast 
publications aimed against Keligion, distributing them even at the doors of 
places of worship. 
Kev. J. Fisher, D.I)., said that some years ago a learned judge, who 
was on circuit in Wales, had to speak of certain cases springing from social- 
istic combinations in that part of the country, and expressed his regret that 
such effects should have arisen from the so-called philosophy, which, from 
being the study of the higher classes, had permeated down to the lower ranks 
until it had brought about results which, if not counteracted, would produce 
a very sad and serious state of things throughout the country. He (Dr. 
