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pendent action. Both chemist and anatomist are dealing with 
the matrix alone ; the informing spirit is beyond the ken of 
the material student. 
Force cannot create itself ; nor, when created, assume 
creative rank. The diffusion of vitality now reauires the 
agency of vital power. Does it not follow that its original 
issue on earth required vital power too ? If the present per- 
petuation of life can be no otherwise than through life — which 
is an undeniable truth — the introduction of life on the globe 
must have also been through life: it was, in fact, only per- 
petuating it — only introducing the principle to another sphere. 
This latter, we call creation. But it was as surely life giving 
life then, as it is now. It is a strange perversity that claims 
life as necessary to life at one period and not at another ; 
that the intromission of life was radically different from its 
maintenance ; that it came by inorganic action, and is kept 
up by vital. If it were continued by inorganic action, its 
inorganic origin would be intelligible : being continued by 
vital action, is not its vital origin equally intelligible ? Is 
there a second method by which philosophy can avoid the 
confusion of the material then and the immaterial now ? I do 
not know of it. Let us not be deceived by the word, creation : 
it is but the first view of life; which by no means infers it was 
the first existence. Life is eternal ; which is philosophically 
proved, to my mind, by the doctrine of similarities ; — the 
present, in its connection with past and future, is a portion of 
immortality — the continuance of what was, the embodiment of 
what will be. 
The sciences of chemistry and anatomy are highly interest- 
ing and useful. Indeed, I am strongly impressed with the 
notion that chemistry's search after this modern philosopher's 
stone will accomplish as glorious an advance in itself as that 
from former alchemy to its present high position. It were 
almost more than rash to affirm as much for modern compara- 
tive anatomy, as sometimes pursued. 
A word or two now on Mr. Grove's Correlation of Physical 
Forces. 
The subject appears to be treated with great ability. That 
the forces with which he deals are correlated I am quite will- 
ing to grant to the full extent he claims for them, except in 
the case of motion, which I cannot understand as a force, but 
as the expression of forces. That the rest of those named by 
Mr. Grove — heat, light, electricity, magnetism, and chemical 
affinity — are correlated I think he satisfactorily shows. But 
there are others which he does not name, air and water, for 
example, — both natural forces of great influence. Is there cor- 
