下载辰思小说免费APP
Dowegainanythingbyattemptingtogetridoftheideaofaspecialvitalforcebecausewefindcertainmutuallyconvertiblerelationsbetweenforcesinthebodyandoutofit？Ithinknot，anymorethanweshouldgainbygettingridoftheideaandexpressionMagnetismbecauseofitscorrelationwithelectricity。Wemayconcedetheunityofallformsofforce，butwecannotoverlookthefixeddifferencesofitsmanifestationsaccordingtotheconditionsunderwhichitacts。Itisamistake，however，tothinkthemysteryisgreaterinanorganizedbodythaninanyother。Weseeastonefalloracrystalform，andthereisnothingstrangerlefttowonderat，forwehaveseentheInfiniteinaction。
Justsofaraswecanrecognizetheordinarymodesofoperationofthecommonforcesofnature，——gravity，cohesion，elasticity，transudation，chemicalaction，andtherest，——weseetheso-calledvitalactsinthelightofalargerrangeofknownfactsandfamiliaranalogies。Matteuecci’swell-rememberedlecturescontainmanyandstrikingexamplesoftheworkingofphysicalforcesinphysiologicalprocesses。Whereverrigidexperimentcarriesus，wearesafeinfollowingthislead；butthemomentwebegintotheorizebeyondourstrictobservation，weareindangeroffallingintothosemechanicalfollieswhichtruesciencehaslongoutgrown。
Recognizingthefact，then，thatwehavelearnednothingbutthemachineryoflife，andarenonearertoitsessence，whatisitthatwehavegainedbythisgreatdiscoveryofthecellformationandfunction？
ItwouldhavebeenrewardenoughtolearnthemethodNaturepursuesforitsownsake。IfthesovereignArtificerletsusintohisownlaboratoriesandworkshops，weneednotaskmorethantheprivilegeoflookingonathiswork。Wedonotknowwherewenowstandinthehierarchyofcreatedintelligences。Weweremadealittlelowerthantheangels。Ispeakitnotirreverently；astheloweranimalssurpassmaninsomeoftheirattributes，soitmaybethatnoteveryangel’seyecanseeasbroadlyandasdeeplyintothematerialworksofGodasmanhimself，lookingatthefirmamentthroughanequatorialoffifteeninches’aperture，andsearchingintothetissueswithatwelfthofaninchobjective。
Butthereareotherpositivegainsofamorepracticalcharacter。
Thuswearenolongerpermittedtoplacetheseatofthelivingactionsintheextremevessels，whichareonlythecarriersfromwhicheachparttakeswhatitwantsbythedivinerightoftheomnipotentnucleatedcell。Theorganismhasbecome，inthewordsalreadyborrowedfromVirchow，“asumofvitalunities。“Thestrictumandlaxum，theincreasedanddiminishedactionofthevessels，outofwhichmedicaltheoriesandmethodsoftreatmenthavegrownup，haveyieldedtothedoctrineoflocalcell-communities，belongingtothisorthatvasculardistrict，fromwhichtheyhelpthemselves，ascontractorsarewonttodofromthenationaltreasury。
Icannotpromisetodomorethantoselectafewofthepointsofcontactbetweenourignoranceandourknowledgewhichpresentparticularinterestintheexistingstateofourphysiologicalacquisitions。SomeoftheminvolvethemicroscopicdiscoveriesofwhichIhavebeenspeaking，somebelongtothedomainofchemistry，andsomehaverelationswithotherdepartmentsofphysicalscience。
Ifweshouldbeginwiththedigestivefunction，weshouldfindthatthelong-agitatedquestionofthenatureoftheacidofthegastricjuiceisbecomingsettledinfavorofthelactic。Butthewholesolventagencyofthedigestivefluidentersintothecategoryofthatexceptionalmodeofactionalreadyfamiliartousinchemistryascatalysis。Itisthereforedoublydifficultofexplanation；
first，asbeing，likeallreactions，afactnottobeaccountedforexceptbytheimaginativeappealto“affinity，“andsecondly，asbeingoneofthosepeculiarreactionsprovokedbyanelementwhichstandsoutsideandlooksonwithoutcompromisingitself。
ThedoctrineofMulder，sowidelydiffusedinpopularandscientificbelief，oftheexistenceofacommonbaseofallalbuminoussubstances，theso-calledprotein，hasnotstoodthetestofrigorousanalysis。Thedivisionoffoodintoazotizedandnon-azotizedisnodoubt
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