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have oxidation furnishing every animal organ with its powers. 
Hence it would seem, that deoxidation was a sort of substitute 
for mind — inventing, improving; and oxidation, a sort of 
substitute for vitality — supplying force and invigorating — the 
parent of every nutritive and external act — the furnisher of 
all organs with their respective powers. How can we interpret 
this, save that oxidation is the life in the animal, derived from 
what deoxidation puts together in the vegetable ? — that a 
living muscle requires the stimulus of oxidation to force it 
into action? and that vitality is a secondary affair in the 
scheme of organisms — at the very most, only promoting 
oxidation, which does all the work ? There is some ingenuity 
in thus pulling down the value of life : it is a great object 
with certain philosophers, and facilitates the introduction of 
minor projects ; — such as the manipulation of the inorganic in 
search of life — development — et hoc genus ornne. If this be 
a true exposition of the writer's meaning, he agrees with Mr. 
Darwin and the author of the Vestiges ; the latter appearing 
to have furnished the former with his system ; for he says, 
“ The organic rests on one law, and that is- -development." 
In the midst of these various proceedings, solar force is intro- 
duced. The change in carbonic acid and water, dependent on 
deoxidation, induces the resulting products to imbibe a certain 
amount of sun-force. It does not here seem to perform any 
vital function ; for we read, that oxidation supplies the power 
requisite for every organ to perform its part in the system. 
In another place, however, we find the following : — “ We per- 
ceive that muscular exertion does not proceed from vital force 
generated within the body, or, indeed, from force of any kind 
generated within the body, but only from a liberation within 
the body of pent-up solar force, which at some time or other 
had been rendered latent in the separated carbo-hydrate of 
our food on the one hand, and oxygen of our breath on the 
other." So that now, oxidation is found not to suffice ; and 
the sun is made the agent in furnishing the muscular power. 
Just before the last- quoted passage it is said : — “ In the 
attempt to lift a heavy weight, the oxidation of muscle within 
our bodies produces a direct liberation of heat instead of 
motion." We seem to have a little complication here. It 
does not appear that oxidation now furnishes every organ with 
the necessary and appropriate powers for the performance of 
external acts. It ministers to the liberation of sun-force ; which 
then becomes the origin, and thenceforth the exhibitor, of 
muscular manifestations. If oxidation simulated life, what 
need of penning up sun-force, and liberating it again, to 
produce the same result ? The source of muscular power, 
n 2 
