The Arkansas banner., 1843-12-09

| -ii " SCitiDlCp. III DOlu lIlt
 Sdine cause determines the increase of mass.
 ne first conditions of animal life are
 nutritious matters and oxygen, introduced in.
 to the system.
 $. And the reaction, between these nutri.
 tlous matters and the oxygen, both produce,
 the rital force and determines is activitu
 ,. The reaction between the elements ot
 the food and the oxygen, conveyed by the
 circulation of the blood to every part of the
 body, IS the source of animal heat.
 lo. All living creatures, whose existence
 depends on the absorption of oxygen, DOS
 sess, within themselves, source of heat. in-
 dependent of surrounding objects.
 Il. This truth applies to all animals. and
 extends, besides, to the examination of seeds
 to the towering of plants, and to the natura-
 ton of fruits.
 l2. It IS only in those parts of the body to
 winch arterlal blood, and with it the oxvgen absorbed Ill respiration, is conveyed, that heat
 Is produced
 i5. The amount of heat liberated must in- crease or diminish with the quantity of oxy- gen introduced Tn equal times by respiration.
 Ihus-those animals which respire frequent- ", and consequently consume much oxygen. possess higher temperature than others. which, with body of equal size to be heat ed, take into the system less oxygen.
 IA In the animal body we recognize. as the ultimate cause of aH force, onzy one cause the chemical reaction between the elements of the food and the onygen of the air. THe ONLY knoun ultimate CAUSE OF VITAL FORCE. cutler in animals or in plants, Is C CHEMICAL PROCESS
 Such IS the hypothesis A cursory exa- mlnatlon oft exposes inconsistencies. which. growing the more striking the more they are. considered, seem, of themselves, sufficient to condemn it.
 Thus In position l, the citaz force is de- clared to be peculiar, iudepeaaem force. the source ot growth and reproduction; whereas, Tn positions and IA, the chemical reaction between the elements of the food and the OK ygen of the air, is made to produce this uerg ritat force itseJ; and also to be the oazy known cause of al force in the animal or vegetable. So, according to this, we have in animals and in vegetables, peculiar inde- pendent force-the ultimate cause of aU othe, force; and yet, that itself is made secondary to, and He result of c chemical process = the ultimate cause of all force, and yet-the effect of secondary cause! What becomes of all hypothesis, such as this, which rests on foundation of mutually destructive ele- ments
 Again :-in position ?, the vita1 force is declared to be identical in animals and in ve- getables; in 6, assimilation of nutritious mat ters, in both, results from the same cause and, yet, ill 1, this cause is declared to be the elimination of oxygen by vegetables, and, in ,, to be the absorption of oxygen by animals. Let him reconcile this pal lpable inconsistency who can. Nothing short of miracle can reconcile 1t; and until one be wrought, in it's especial behalf, 1t must be fatal to any hypo- thesis in which it is detected, no matter how plausible it may be, in other respects. But, besides these inconsistencies, and yet closely allied with them, there is other ground, against which, as it is more plausible, and, apparent ly, more tenable, the chief objections obtain. Thus :-m positions 1, ,, 7, 8, and 9-the identity of the uital force and the vila7 heat, IS plainly asserted; and again, in 10, l l, and IA, as well as in 3, that is declared to be the same In animals and in vegetables. Here, then, we have the question in nut-shell- the doctrine reduced to the narrowest limits indeed, to the reductio ad absurd um. Thus :-Tital force and uital heat are principles (and convertible terms)- the same in animals and in vegetables result (tertium qnid) of chemical reaction be- tween carbon and orggen; and, consequent ly, the vital temperature and vital. vigor of any living creature, animal or vegetable, is in exact proportion to the quantities of carbon and oxygen inspired by it. In word-that Life is nothing more nor Jess than he putrefactioe reaction between c breaM of air and C mouthtul of fat meat This IS the inevitable result of the enume- rated positions of Leibig. If upon due exa- this mere chemical process be found insuficiem to produce all the pheno- mena of vitality, and to elucidate all it's laws, the hypothesis which rests upon it, may not claim the assent of the intelligent mind and, fortiori, if such chemical process be found directly at cariance with many of the we'll known phenomena, and well established laws, of life, the hypothesis loses all substan- tlal support, and tumbles to the ground.
 Before entering upon the examination, and the facts, 1 would remark, that the hypothesis-that vital heat results from the reaction between the inspired oxygen, and the carbon within the organism, is not original with, or peculiar to, Liebig. It was first by Laroisier and Seguin. Ex- tended, and plausbly improved upon, by Craoctord, it has, ever since, experienced the varying fortune of other mere hypotheses, and been alternately in and out of fashion. It is now revived by Lie6ig, still more ex- tended, especially in it's apnlications. and put forward iii a much improved and very attract i've form.
 ssIf the facts, which served as foundation for this beautiful theory of animal heat, were not false, the deductions would be irresisti- ble.' So said Prof Dunglisson of the theory of Crawford and so may we, with equal propriety, say of the more modern, more inn posing, but no more substantial, structure of Liebig; for the basis upon which both struc- lures rest, is essentially the same-a promi-
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