Philosophy of animated existence, or, Sketches of living physics : with discussions of physiology philosophical. To which is added a brief medical account of the middle regions of Georgia

Front matter

V i'

V

PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER II. The Original Being—God—Divine Creator

Terribleness of him. - - -

His idea—how caused. -------

Character of the gods of antiquity. ------

SECTION I.

Efforts and limits of reason in his research. -

Conclusions of reason on his idea. - - - - -

SECTION II.

Revelation, the source of all true theognosy. -

Idea of one Supreme Being known to all enlightened nations of antiquity.

How these nations obtained this idea. -

CHAPTER III. The material system—nascent life

SECTION I.

Origin, history. --------

Progress of Science in discovery. ------

SECTION II.

History of the earth. -

Idea of an animal. - -- -- -- -

The manner in which the structures of plants and animals make known the progressive changes of the world. ------

• •

Section II

Progressive perfection of life in the living series. - - - - 74

The perfection of animated beings is in the direct ratio of the means they possess of reacting upon, and of modifying the universal forces of matter. 75

Idea of the growing perfection of life in the animated series. - - 76

Section III

Vastness of the economy—discrepancy, reciprocal relation of all the parts composing any animated being. ------ 79

Variation of the organic types in different creatures, and their metamor¬ phoses from the embryon to perfect development. - - - - 80

Section IV

Reciprocal dependence of all the parts of the economy—relations of the organifiable matter—its first combinations into the living forms. - - 82

Nature of the organifiable elements. - - - - .34

The origin of the first series of all the living, organic forms, could not have been due to the plastic, physical attraction of life, and was Divine. - - 87

SECTION I. Examination of the physico-chemical theory of life. - - - 91

The nervous fluid in its mode of action, analogous to that of electro-magnet¬ ism. .92

Views of different philosophers. ------ 94

Theory of the German Transcendentalists, very obscure. - - - 95

Section VI

Necessity in the actual state of the sciences, of a new and more enlarged philosophical nomenclature, for the classification of the vital force with the other active agents of nature. - - - - - - -112

Reasons for this classification. - - - - - -115

SECTION II. Second dynamical order. ------- 128

Example 2. — Mechanism of the sentiment of conservative love. - - 131

Example 3. — The object is an amiable female in distress. - 133

Final causes of these movements. ------ 137

Example 4.—Hector dragging at the war-chariot of Achilles—Andromache, the beholder. - -- -- -- -- 139

Example 5. — Leander drowning — Hero. ----- 141

—diffi-

Book II

Beings—their relations to the double extension of time and space. - 148

CHAPTER I. The historical Creator, or an active Divine Providence. - - - 148

The obscurity of such a Providence has produced scepticism. - - 1G0

B

XIV

CONTENTS.

What is the philosophy of a Divine Providence? and why have men mista¬ ken, misunderstood its course ? ------

Philosophy of a Divine Providence. -

In what consists the action on the world of the original Artisan Force, which we call Providence ?-------

Prayer—miracles. --------

Moral evil. --------

165 168 169

Chapter II

Matter in its relations to time and space. - - - - -171

SECTION I.

Relations to time—All bodies molecular—molecular activity. - - 171

Article 1 .—Dissuasives from such study, utility. - 172

Article 2 .—Progressive knowledge—perplexity—uncertainty. - - 174

Article 3. —Improvements by the modern philosophers—prospects of chemical science. - - - - - - - -176

Article 4.—Utility of atoms in the theory of matter—their energy—phe¬ nomena of their first action. , - - - - - - 180

Article 5.—Impotency of analysis and synthesis—Speculations on the natural history of atoms—their general adoption. - 182

Article 6 .—Atoms limited in their mode of productiveness—their innate, exhaustless, susceptibility of new material existence. - - - 186

Article 7.—Place of atoms in nature—their logical order. - 188

SECTION II.

Relations to space. - - - - - - - -189

x\rticle 1.—Porosity—probable smallness of the real amount of matter in space—hypothesis of the motion of atoms in curved lines. - 189

Article 2 .—Beauty—grandeur of matter in space—immensity of its action —disproportion of our senses. - 193

Article 3. —Operation or functional forces of bodies. ... 197

Section III

Causes which modify the intensity of the great action of life. - - 305

1. Running waters. ------- 306

3. Volcanic ruptures. - - - - - - - 310

4. Too great development of life in one part of the living series, &c. - 314

9. General reflections. - - - - - - - 317

I

Chapter X. N

SECTION I.

Action of external bodies an element in perception and causation of the in¬ tellectual phenomena. ------- 336

Article 1 . —Manner in which the action is applied. - 337

Article 2.—Living parts on which the action is exercised. - - 339

Article 3.—Quality of the action. - - - - - 341

SECTION II.

Action of the living organism in perception and causation of the intellect¬ ual phenomena. - - ------ 344

Article 1 . —Sensitive organs or the senses, and their action. - - 344

1. Internal senses. ------- 345

2. Pathological senses. ------- 347

3. External senses. ------- 343

CONTENTS.

XVII

Article 2 .—Action of the intermediate nerves which transmit the impres¬ sions to the brain. - 358

Article 3 .—Action of the brain, which, in common language, constitutes impressions, perceptions. - - - - - . - 361

SECTION V. Article 1.—In Somnambulism. ...... 404

Article 2 .—In Mesmerism or Animal Magnetism. - - - 407

Article 3.—In chronic encephalitis. - - - - - 411

Article 4.—In apparitions. ...... 412

Reflection 1.—On the mental phenomena of somnambulism. - - 413

Polar vision in animals, a part in their conservative economy, and consti¬ tutes much of what is called their instincts. - - - - - 419

Reflection 2 .—On ghosts or apparitions—phantasmogeny. - - 427

SECTION VI. Conclusion upon this chapter on the sensations. .... 430

CONTENTS.

Section VII

Article 1.—Influence of local causes on reason. - Article 2. —Manner of its productiveness.

Article 3.—Influence of physical causes bearing on the future. Article 4. — Modifying influence of moral causes.

Article 5.—Physiology of reasoning. ... Article 6.— Distribution of reason throughout the living scale.

Imagination.

Section III

Passion of theosophy—cultis numenis—or religion. Article 1 . —Philosophy of religion. -

Article 2.— Religion civil, or in relation to the species. - Reflections.—On civil religion, and conclusion of this work.

445 447

470 476 489

A BRIEF MEDICAL ACCOUNT OF THE MIDDLE

REGIONS OF GEORGIA.

CHAPTER VI. Summary observations, medical literature, and conclusion - - 563

Prospects of medical science in Georgia. = - - - - 570

V

I

. V

I

I

*

PHILOSOPHY, ETC.

BOOK I.

VARIETY OF BEINGS—THEIR RELATIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER.

An original Creator—God—is nature’s fundamental idea. The active reason of men of all ages, countries, whether they have cultivated sciences, and become civil¬ ized, or persevered in barbarism, has alike reached the conception, or substituted something in the place of this great idea; beyond which contemplation cannot pass. The order in which the phenomena of all physical exist¬ ences, are presented to us; the manner in which our minds appear framed to study these phenomena, lead us up in antiquity, step by step, to behold this Idolum naturce magnum .

The God of reason as of inspiration, is the first Being, alone original. There must have been a period, when He existed in solitude. All others have sprung from the Divine Wisdom and industry. Excepting our ma¬ terial economy, we know not in what ages or durations they came forth. In space rich,—beautiful for its worlds — we see the immensity of matter. The more our knowledge improves, the more we become convinced of the feebleness, inadequacy of our idea of the actual ex¬ tent and limits. From the influences of these worlds upon our senses and on our system, we simply know they 2

VARIETY OF BEINGS.

are material; but know not the variety of other beings they may contain.

The matter of our own sphere exists constantly in two states, of which it appears only to be susceptible; the mineral and the organic. The mineral is the state, in which the properties inherent, inseparable from it, place and maintain it in nature. This sphere constituting not a whole in itself, these properties combine to achieve its cosmic functions or relations in the economy of which it is a constituent part.

The organic state, foreign to the achievement of all the congenite properties, is due to a separate force. This substantive force manifests itself to be distinct from the material properties, by the successful opposition it offers to them, and by the decided difference which exists be¬ tween mineral and living bodies.

Intelligence is another force not less distinct and sub¬ stantive. Its development and entire activity, are subor¬ dinate to the molicular, vital movement.

Three classes, then, of forces— beings; — or matter , life and intelligence , with their phenomena constitute nature with us.

VITAL PHENOMENA.

Chapter I. General Phenomena Of Animated Existence

All created beings continue to be what they are— exist—by virtue of the acts, they constantly put forth. These acts distributed out, impressed at the hour of creation, are special to each. Thus a star, a man, a mi¬ croscopic animalcule;—the towering cedar, the humble cryptogame—are subjected to the same condition. There are no royal houses in nature, where beings repose, or enjoy repose after labour. They all participate in the ceaseless struggle; persevere in continual excitement. This excitement is the essence of their being. In it they all, in their own way, enjoy life from the hands of their living Creator; live the great, the beautiful life of nature.

But it is not the phenomena of this universal life, only an infinitely small portion, and a particular mode of it, we are here to contemplate. In this particular mode, we find the rank and place, we with our fellows, occupy. We live amid the scene of the mineral changes and re¬ volutions of the matter of our planet. We cannot but perceive our existence is connected closely with the causes of these changes. The slightest observation of the general phenomena of matter, very moderate inspec¬ tion of the physical laws, are sufficient to convince us, the star in space, on which we dwell does not contain all, but only a limited portion of the conditions or means absolutely necessary to our existence. Its intercourse, associations with its fellow-stars;—the life it enjoys itself —completes these means.

Our sort of animation parasitic, is, therefore, only a special form engrafted on the older life of nature. It is

VITAL PHENOMENA.

the modification of this life by a substantive force, the force of organization. This life by giving matter forms foreign to the natural tendencies; endowing them with separate and special properties; combining them into reciprocally active wholes;—or this life by organization, differs exactly from the great, parent model. The force of the one progresses without exhaustion in eternal equi¬ librium ; that of the other is never exactly the same in intensity and operation. Against this latter force, frail and delicate, the matter subjected to its dominion forever tends to rebel and escape. Commencing feeble at first, it has its limits fixed in all living species, beyond which it cannot pass. Thus generation and death come to form part in its economy.

One of the most notable conditions, therefore, in all animated existences, is, to use the sacred expression, that they come from the dust and return. In this double movement, all vitality keeps pace w T ith the flight of the celestial spheres,—plays through time. In this flight are maintained the eternal youth and beauty of the living forms, personified by antiquity in the person of Hebe, daughter of the most ancient of beings.

Nature seems to manifest no cares for the preservation of her fair creations of life. She constantly prepares for us, frightful, hated deaths. She flatters with beauty and strength, but she will not hear our cries, entreaties; does not pity the hideous features, the wrinkled face, the stiffened form, she is preparing for us ;—the solitude of the cold sepulchre. She procures death for all; to us the most frightful, because formed the most sensible.

Her great pleasure, her constant disposition, is, to return, and tread again in her own footsteps; create existence, rekindle the breath after the same models, she has destroyed. In the successive evolution and ex¬ tinction of generations, she limits herself to the repetition of the same, unvarying series of efforts; passes round in

DOCTRINE OF NEW SFECIES.

the eternal circle of action. And the voice of her august Creator, rings forever throughout her living empire, “From the dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt re¬ turn.”

But what is this dust? mighty, immovable base of all animated beings, round whose great axis, they all turn! This dust?—but the earth herself; over whose sterile face passed anciently the breath of the Almighty. Then the grass first shot up its juicy spires; the little flowers opened their tender petals to catch the roscid drops; and the tall trees spread out their voluminous foliage beneath the clouds;—the plumy races began to flutter in the air; the young leviathan, play in the waves;—the great zoo¬ logical life came forth:—and man appeared among them their crowned sovereign.

The dust, then, which we bring with us into life, which we sacredly deposit in the tomb afterwards, en¬ joyed, at first, only the simple life, the life of all matter. But since generations began in all the living races, the dust of the earth has lived a new life from the Divine Breath or the organizing nature, which has continued.

Section I. Is There Occasionally New Living Species?-spontaneous

GENERATION.

Like Newton’s astronomical world, which, by its own operations tends to destruction; and requires at periodi¬ cal times, the correcting touch of the creating hand, does the world of life operate its own ruin?—do the old races expire of age or accident, and are new ones occasionally created to keep it up ?

Man climbing aloft in the regions of the sciences, be¬ holding the reciprocal unity, general subordination; the inflexible laws, which bind all in the great republic of

2 *

VITAL PHENOMENA.

the universe, his mind is struck with a vertiginous move¬ ment. The immensity of Nature’s operations, the fright¬ ful durations, through which her unwearied action con¬ tinues on, overpower all his contemplation. But his ambition can never be overpowered. In these sciences he struggles continually with nature. He desires to be present with her, and witness all her doings. He looks on his mind as forming the visible horizon of the invisi¬ ble universe. He forgets that very few of these opera¬ tions are subjected to his observation; that he witnesses these few but very imperfectly;—he forgets the feeble¬ ness, nothingness of his own thought; and attempts to retrace the great ages of the world.

Imbedded deep in the strata of the earth, and amid solid rocks, he beholds the remains of the Edentata , the gigantic Pachydermata , the Saaria , Ophidia. —At vari¬ ous depths beneath the surface, on the greatest elevations above the seas, the fossil relics of Neptunian life, are presented to his observation. Nay, so abundant are these relics, that they appear to constitute largely the solid crust of our planet, and give to it much of its present form, and appearance.

Many of the congeners of these relics do not exist now in any of the seas which are; and a goodly number of these Sauria , Ophidia , Pachydermata ,—that existed for¬ merly, is now found alive in no country on earth. All the monuments, therefore, show, the life of our world is of an extremely great age, stretches back into the annals of a dreary, incomprehensible antiquity :—That the races die , “ thin out” and new ones must occasionally be sup¬ plied by creation, accommodated to the new epochs of relabent time. Thus the great, living economy, coeval with our astronomical world, progresses through the dura¬ tion of time by the perpetual generation of the individu¬ als, death destroys; and by the occasional divine creation of new races, or “ transmutation of species These

I conclusions vast in themselves occupy immense ground. They are the conclusions of MM. Buffon, Lamarck, Cuvier, and other great philosophers. But much gloom, heavy shades hang about them. The ground on which they rest can never be all explored. The facts of paleon¬ tology—zoological history,—appear to testify, that many of the old races have perished and disappeared, and that new ones have been introduced.

But we may suppose, as yet, even the outline of the living economy, has been only very imperfectly explored. We know but partially the elements of which it is com¬ posed. Even in modern times, in the Marsupialia— Macropus minor, Didelphis gigantea ;— Monotremata —ornithorhynchus paradoxus , ornithor. setosus; New Holland has presented new descriptions of living crea¬ tures. On the floors of the seas and oceans, in the soli¬ tudes of central Africa, some parts of boreal Europe and Asia, the desert lands of the two Americas, in many of the Oceanica but little explored, there may exist many creatures, even of great size, unknown to all zoography.

If then the zoological philosopher know not the amount of life in being, and the number of forms in which it exists, he must be illy prepared to decide upon the amount and the number of species, which have been miscarried by time, and struck from the living calendar.

If new races, occasionally, are really created, since it is the work of an Infinite Being, is it we may be living in the infancy of the world, and are ignorant of the dura¬ tion, the original power of creation is consuming, in bringing the living empire to its ultimate and stationary perfection? Or is such perfection a part of primeval na¬ ture? May not these new creations be presented to our eyes, from our manner of studying this economy, as it is unfolded and brought forward in the great action of time? We shall notice these topics directly.

VITAL PHENOMENA.

But ourselves, apart, we know not the end or use of any living being, nor their proportion with themselves and the balance of the universe. We are ignorant of the great causes, which necessitated their existence. They are presented to us without their reasons,—philosophy. We behold them with ourselves dashing onward in the eternal torrent of ages. Nature advances perpetually in her steady course. She regards all time as one unbroken duration. We break time into epochs to define and cir¬ cumscribe her actions. Our reason progresses on her backward course; her phenomena are presented in the inverted order. She always combines in her action, but we decompose. We cannot see things in natu , as she brings them forth. We look at her through the epochs, we make. We take for the whole what she simply means for a part. We complete her designs, when she is only commencing them. We see but her broken, distorted image.—

The Marquis De Laplace corrected the astronomical error of Newton. One day zoology may have her La¬ place, who will demonstrate, that the living races set up in the first order of creation, incomprehensible in the great mutation and transition of time, never perish;—that the world of life, like that of matter, perfect in its own preser¬ vation, may progress eternally without decay or diminu¬ tion, unless interdicted by the Divine will.

Time always leaves behind it, an obscurity fearful to truth and science. It is in this obscurity, the zoological philosopher gropes, tracing the ancient history of life. The remains of the living structures inclosed in rocks and the terrestrial strata, are the venerable monuments, he consults. The rocks and beds on which all the others rest, he assumes to be the oldest; and judges of the age of the balance by their super-position. He compares the organic remains of the older with the more recent for-

DOCTRINE OF NEW SPECIES.

mations; and discovers great and decided changes have taken place.* In the more ancient strata and fossiliferous rocks, he beholds only the relics or prints of ferns, reeds; the radiata , molusca ;—the first rude elements of a living world: in those more recent, the dicotyledonous tribes, the vertebratcr ,—the more perfect among plants and animals. Finally the system of life existing now in our planet, has completely changed in all its members; and corresponds no longer with the system or systems, which have been.

There is life; the oldest forms of matter are marked with its unequivocal traces; life has always been. He compares, examines the monuments in all their bearings to discover where the path leads, in which nature has travelled. No age has ever witnessed the new creation of a living being. The existing organic forms must have descended from those of the primeval creation, through a continual and successive transmutation of species.

But no philosopher can point to the intervening types of organization, which connect the existing species with those of the old fossiliferous rocks. This theory of trans¬ mutation, therefore, presents prodigious lacuna, which no reason or scientific industry can ever fill up.f

* Vid. Cuvier’s Recherches sur les Ossemens de Quadrupedes.

t In a recent work, G. Penn, Esq. has marshalled much learning and criticism, and elevated himself against MM. De Luc, Cuvier, all these great men, who have shed so much modern light on the history of the planet. He attacks in every part, the whole theory over which we are here passing. His brilliant arrows seem to fly at every point, except those at issue. Too theological, his reasoning must be judged inappli¬ cable. The fundamental truths of this theory, attested by our senses, must continue with the facts.

Among other things, his book appears more a finished eulogium on the genius of Bacon and Newton, than an argument seriously about the Terra invisibelis et inccmposita; and the Magnx ossa parentis ,— mundi. Vid. Comparative Estimate of the Mineral and Mosaical ge¬ ologies, passim.

VITAL PHENOMENA.

In the absence of the conditions necessary to the de¬ velopment of life, experience has proved it possible, nay probable, the seeds of plants and ova of animals, will continue through, great periods, the exact limits un¬ known; and still be evolutionable—prolific. Since, therefore, only the rudimental forms of life appear to have existed in the infancy of nature, in place of these mutations and successive creations, if we suppose the organizing nature or plastic vital principle , peculiar to each of the great vertebrated and other more perfect families, was intrusted to some of the durable forms of matter, as future life is to these seeds and ova; which would develop in the progressive changes of the world, and start into organic being with the succession of gene¬ rations; it would correspond better with sacred history, and accommodate all the immovable facts of geognostic zoology.

Whether, however, by transmutations, more recent creations, or the amorphous ova , I have supposed for all the new species; the complete and successive alterations, themselves, debatable as other things connected with them may be, remain indisputable.

Causes. —Changes from the great astronomical move¬ ment; revolutions on the face of the planet itself; slow molicular fluctuations, are alleged to be incompatible with a living economy permanent in its genera and spe¬ cies. The new conditions through which matter is passing in the great flights of time, it is asserted, tend to the extinction of the ancient forms of life, and neces¬ sitate others with constitutions adapted to these material vicissitudes.

We cannot here discuss these prodigious topics. They will meet us again. We shall content ourselves with observing,—the inclination of the earth’s axis, which regulates, modifies the solar light and heat in all climates, has ever made a great figure in living archeology. From

DOCTRINE OF NEW SPECIES.

calculations, some philosophers maintain, the terrestrial axis, in a long series of years, will regain its equilibrium in the Ecliptic, and again stand even in its plain.—That then, from the unchangeableness or uniformity of the temperature of all climates, in all seasons great alterations will be consummated throughout the living kingdom.

The axes of the other planets do not correspond with the Ecliptic plane. Nay, the poles of some of them, are depressed much lower than ours, so that their axes stand nearly vertical or cut this plane at almost right angles.

Why, then, should we suppose our Southern pole has ever been depressed by some accidental cause? Why not rather think, at the hour of creation, our planet was orbited with its axis inclined as our astronomy finds it.— And when we consider the rotundity of its figure,—that light can travel only in straight lines :—when we appre¬ ciate the immense consequences, which result from this position of its axis, we should think the more, this incli¬ nation was intentional, and a part in the original con¬ trivance. Indeed, all philosophy were infinitely easier, could man think and foresee like his Divine Creator.

The exact periods, in which our astronomical matter, in its great flights through space, completes its revolu¬ tions, show the force by which it is animated, operates uniformly. The precise correspondence of the great cycles of time, measured out by these revolutions, evinces, that since astronomical observation and history com¬ menced, no permanent changes have occurred in our material economy:—that this economy maintains the equilibrium of its force, and if slight alterations do occur, they are only temporary, their causes being evanescent.

We have, therefore, good grounds to conclude upon the high probability, that all the bodies subjected to the solar autocracy, have persevered through all time with great uniformity; and that any system of life, it would maintain at any one period, would be maintained ad in-

VITAL PHENOMENA.

defmitum . It is highly improbable, then, life has ever perished out and disappeared from astronomical causes.

But what proof exists, that the matter of our planet •undergoes permanent changes, in the long flights of time, from the molicular movement, incompatible with the du¬ ration of the living specis? In the imponderable attrac¬ tions, it is armed with prodigiously energetic forces, pro¬ lific causes of changes. Everywhere exists the most indubitable testimony, its whole face has, more than once, been completely broken up, and undergone alteration. The facts and reasonings of Baron Cuvier* establish this position more clearly than any of his predecessors, and command respect and admiration for his genius.

It is unphilosophical to think the revolutionary causes have become quiescent; or that our world is possessed of active forces at one time, which it loses at another. It is to be regarded as a definite, unvarying quantity, both in substance and in energy. The causes, therefore, which commenced the first changes of its surface in the highest antiquity, are still in operation; and the face we occupy now, can not continue to be the face, on which will dwell all the future generations of men.

These revolutions of the terrestrial superfice, do not take place suddenly, and universally, at once. They commenced partially and demand great and unascer¬ tained limits of time for their consummation. And since they have been in progress from the infancy of the world, and their action has never intermitted, we must con¬ clude, the vital economy is constitutionally fitted to bear the vicissitudes their causes occasion; and all the loss of life, it has ever sustained, has been through mechanical violence, such as the sudden sinking of the earth, inunda¬ tions.

In consequence of the diversity of its mechanical and chemical constitutions, or the universal conformation of

* Revolutions of the Earth’s Surface and Geology.

DOCTRINE OF NEW SPECIES.

organization and its properties, the earth is presented to the great living families, as so many regions, that limit the geographical spaces, they can occupy. If we were to suppose the whole of one of these regions, which De Candoll* properly calls “Foci of creation ,” containing every individual of any particular race, were destroyed at once by these causes of change; then we could easily conceive of the entire loss of genera and species. The fossil remains of this race, dug up at some distant future period, would correspond with none of the living families; and would properly be pronounced extinct. If, therefore, the doctrine of lost species, should continue to figure in the world, which it undoubtedly will, until species shall be differently defined and understood, it will likely be maintained upon this manner of destruction.

But except the Noahic flood, the tradition, history of no people, human experience, has never witnessed the destruction of so much country at once. And to conceive such an event possible, would be to suppose these “ Foci of Creation ” in very early times, were contained in limits abundantly smaller, than they are known now to occupy. That such destruction may have taken place in great antiquity, is both possible and probable from the fact, that then the races on land, had not expanded to the full measure of their existence, and filled up these foci. In the evolutions of generations and multiplication of species, even amid the greatest abundance of the alimentaria , we may suppose a considerable length of time must have been consumed, in reaching their utmost geo¬ graphical limits. And, if Mr. Whitehurst’sf theory of the insulary formation of the primitive, terrestrial superfice, be true, these limits or these foci themselves, were much more contracted in the ancient, than in the modern annals.

* Geog. des Plantes.

t Inquiry into the Original State and Formation of the Earth.

VITAL PHENOMENA.

If we examine the molicular attractions, by which the earth’s face is perpetually changed and renewed, like that of astronomy, we shall find them equable and uniform in their operations. They have continued through all periods the same. The same attractions, repulsions continue be¬ tween the same class of bases. The crystalline forms of all chemical bodies, they evolve at the present time, cor¬ respond exactly with those of the same descriptions of all former times. They have precisely the same consti¬ tutions, the same number of angles;—are the same geo¬ metrical figures. Thus matter, both in its astronomical and chemical constitutions, properties and relations, has descended through all durations unchanged; and the life, it was calculated to nourish at any one period, cceteris paribus, it would nourish at another.