Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-02-19
FROM THE LONDON MACHINE.
Account Of ~. Bichdt's Theory
Of Life.

" LJC'
Every thing arc und living bodies, according
20 NJ Rich - tends constantly 10 their desirue-
ton. Aud to this influence they would neces
sarily Weld, we're they not & I ed with some
permanent principle OF reaction. TINS pr'aei'
pie is their 6je, and living system 8 therefore
necessarily always en- saged IN the performance
of functions. whose object Is 10 resist death.
Life. according to B.chat, is The state OF be-
ing produced by ths possession and exercise OF
what he calls the vital properties; yet he does
not always slhtre with logical st'icinesS to, this
definition. bot rather uses the tim sometimes
to designate collectively the vital properties
themselves. aud this, perhaps. is its best And
most convenient sense. His essential doctrine.
however, is. that there Is no Que single ihdivd-
| ual presiding principle OF vitality, which AMI
mates the body. but that i Is collection OF ma.
Ter gifted for time with certain powers OF ac-
ton, combined into organs which are thus ena-
ble1 to act. and that the result IS series OF
| functions, tie connected pelf1rInaiIce ct which
| constitutes II living thing.
This is his view of lie, considered in the
| most general and simple way. But IN ing
| the examination further, lie points out two re-
markable modic atoms at hfe, as viewed in diff.
| ferent relations, one common both to vegeta
bles and animals, the otfer peculiar TO ANNALS.
! The vegetable exists entirely within itself, and
/ III,
| for the materials of nutrition; the animal, on
the contrary in addition 10 this Internal life, has
another, by which he Connects himself with Oh.
! lects about him, maintains relations with lhem
! and is bound 10 them by the ties Of mutual de-
| pendence. This affords principle, upon which
TO form distinct classification e our functions
| Those which have in COMMON WITH the yegcta
bic, Which are necessary merely TO Our indivdu.
al bodily existence, are called the functions OF
organic lfs, because they are common to all or.
ganlZed matter. Those, on the other hand.
which are peculiar to animals, which in them
are superadded to the possession Of the Org an;c
functions, are calltd The ianct>ons Of sunni
Hf-.
Phi;iologicaIly speaking. then, We have ,wo
lives, the concurrence OF which enables ne IN
life. and move, and have our being; both eontal.
ly necessary to the relations we maintain as.hu.
, man beings, but as human beings, but nat e.
qualy necessary TO the simple existence of a
/ living thing. BY o.T organic hte, food proper
Tor our nutrition IS hrst submitted to the opera.
ton OF digestion, is then thrown into the c;rc,,
| lation, undergoes in the lungslh changes which
respiration is intended 10 esfecs. IS 4,en dist ,ib,,
| ted to the organs to be applied 10 i,,elr nu,f,
! tom froGn these, aiser q certain per;.,l - 4,
ken away by absorption, thrown again into the
circulation, and discharged at length IRON the
system by means OF the several exialations and
secretions. This is the life by which all the
parts of the body are kept in a state of repair .
Il is the life of waste and suppl,. pecessar;lss
subseryient 10 the Performance OF those filDc
tons, which are the distinguished characteristics
OF our nature, but not at all engaged IN their per.
torrance itself. by our animal ne on the con.
trary. We become related to the world abous
us; the senses convey TO US knowledge Of
tie existence of other things beside ourselves;
knowledge also Of their qualities and their
capacities tor producing pleasure or pain;
we feel, we reflect, We judge, we will, and re-
act upon external things, by means Of the or
g2ns OF locomofion and voice: according TO the
result Of these mental operations, We become
capable Of communicating and receiving plea.
sure and pain, happiness and misery IN fact,
by the organic llfe we merely exist negatively.
by the animal, that existence becomes blessing
or curse, source of enjoyment or Of suffer.
ing.
1t is not at all pretended that the idea of this
| DIVISION was entirely original with Bchat
| Most Psychologists have had some faint concep.
| ton of It, ami others have more distinctly re.
I cognlzed it under some what different mod,6.
! cation. and with a different tile gut he has
! made 1t peculiarly his own by the ingenious
| and novel manner in which he has stated. ex-
| planned and illustrated il; the detailed applica-
| ton, which he has made of IT, 10 the various
phenomena Of the living systen; and the beau.
tltul and almost poetica air which he has, by
means OF II, thrown around many Of these phe-
! nomena.
In The first place, as he teaches, the two lives
differ IN some important respects, as to the or.
Sans by which their functions are performed
Those OF the animal life, present symmetry of
external form, strongly contrssted with the ire
Bniaflty, which Is prominent Characteristic Of
Organic late. In the a1limla! BE every fhnctioa
IS either performed by a pair OF organs, per-
'ecty similar ~ II us'ure and SIZE, situated one
upon each side of the median dividing line Of
the body, or else by single organ divided into
TWO similar and perfectly symmetrical halves
oy That line. Thus the organs OF sight and
hearing, and OF locomotlnn are double and SINH
lar. the nerves OF The brain go off in correspon.
ding pairs; he organs of smell and taste, and
the brain, are situated with perfect reg "a to
TINS law. The organs OF the organic ne. on the
Coz trdry, Present picture totally difFerenc
they are irregukrly formed, and irregularly ar
ranged; the stomach is disposed without any
regard to the mediam line, and one halt of il
bears no resemblance to the other; the same IS
true OF the liver, the spleen, and all the organic
Nscera The heart, il is true, is a double or
gam but ITS parts are Of unequal size and
strength; the rest OF the circulating system pre-.
sents thousand IRE guiarities; and the lungs
are disslmi!2r in the two SIDES of the thorax, III
tie DIVISION OF their Iobes, and the quantity OF
matter they contain.
THIS symmetry Of the form is accompanied
by corresponding harmony OF the functions Of
the animal Life. The eSactness and perfection
OF vision depehd upon the similarity Of Wis or,
depend upon the similarity OF the impressions
Transmitted by the two eyes to the BRAN; 1t
these impressions are dissimilar, vision will be