108 
OF THE VESSELS OF ANIMAL BODIES. 
these parts separately. But this is to diminish the strength 
of the argument. The wisdom of the Creator is seen, not 
in their separate but their collective action; in their mutu¬ 
al subserviency and dependence; in their contributing to¬ 
gether to one etfect, and one use. It has been said, that a 
man cannot lift his hand to his head, without finding enough 
to convince him of the existence of a God. And it is well 
said; for he has only to reflect, familiar as this action is, 
and simple as it seems to be, how many things are requisite 
for the performing of it: how many things which we under¬ 
stand, to say nothing of many more, probably, which we 
do not; viz. first, a long, hard, strong cylinder, in order to 
give to the arm its firmness and tension; but which, being 
rigid, and in its substance inflexible, can only turn upon 
joints: secondly, therefore, joints for this purpose, one at 
the shoulder to raise the arm, another at the elbow to bend 
it; these joints continually fed with a soft mucilage to make 
the parts slip easily upon one another, and holden together 
by strong braces, to keep them in their position: then, third¬ 
ly, strings and wires, i. e. muscles and tendons, artificially 
inserted for the purpose of drawing the bones in the direc¬ 
tions in which the joints allow them to move. Hitherto we 
seem to understand the mechanism pretty well; and, under¬ 
standing this, we possess enough for our conclusion: never¬ 
theless, we have hitherto only a machine standing still; a 
dead organization—an apparatus. To put the system in a 
state of activity, to set it at work, a farther provision is ne¬ 
cessary, viz. a communication with the brain by means of 
nerves. We know the existence of this communication, 
because we can see the communicating threads, and can 
trace them to the brain: its necessity we also know, be¬ 
cause if the thread be cut, if the communication be inter¬ 
cepted, the muscle becomes paralytic: but beyond this we 
know little, the organization being too minute and subtile 
for our inspection. 
To what has been enumerated, as officiating in the single 
act of a man’s raising his hand to his head, must be added 
likewise, all that is necessary, and all that contributes to the 
growth, nourishment, and sustentation of the limb, the re¬ 
pair of its waste, the preservation of its health: such as the 
circulation of the blood through every part of it; its lym¬ 
phatics, exhalants, absorbents; its excretions and integu¬ 
ments. All these share in the result; join in the effect; and 
how all these, or any of them, come together without a de¬ 
signing, disposing intelligence, it is impossible to conceive 
