Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-09


the active part becoming temporarily electrically positive
the blood by setting free electricity from the air in
spred and causing the blood to flow in that direction by
attracting it. But Groves experiment already cited,
that strong solar light under which such obserya
tons are always made produces electroposve con-
dton in the part which falls and this condition
cannot fail attract the blood towards that part This
explanation substantiated by Dr. Carpenters statement
that the sanguneous current appears at to ow with
great evenness and regularity. But on watching the
movement for some time various changes may be OBJ
served which cannot attributed to the hearts action
These movements manifested IN great ard sudden al
teratons in the velocity of the current which cause
marked difference in the rates OF the movement OIL the
blood through the several parts OF the area under oose
vaon Sometimes this variation extends even 70 the en-
tire reverson for time, OF the direction OF the move
meut in certain transverse communicating branches"
Every Psychologist states that the circulation Of arte
razed blood in the capares Of every organ OF the bo
DIV is essential to the performance of its furctons and
every capillary loop is accompanied by corresponding
loop of branch of the sympathetic nerves Now, when
it is remembered that nervous matter and muscle are
characterized by acid, and blood and lymph by an az
kali the chemist perceives ut that the elements OF
votaic pile constantly ready to evolve current Of cleo
tricy placed in uxtaposition in every part Of the
living system and Prof Buff experiment, already clted
proves accordingly that these elements do evolve an eec
trio current even when deprived OF vitality In conside
ration of these facts and many others which go to prove
that chemical affinity is ever active in the living system
the hypothesis that all the actions termed vital are effects
Of chemical affinity has of late been rapidly gaming
credence in the minds Of philosophers who stand
eminent in science But, unfortunately they have In
volved the whole subject in almost nexicabe confusion
assuming without attempting to prove that tho living
system itself can generate create y electricity by the
chemical agency with which it is endowed losing sight
altogether Of the c proved by Faraday Lieog Draper
and Others that chemical affinity IS an eect OF eiecicai
action not O cause Even these eminent discoveries
themselves do not to appreciate the bearing OF their
discoveries. "The know" says Prof Gregory,
of Ednburg of the processes going on IN the living
ganism the more do we find these to involve strictly
MI nd To
probation 1t would indeed appear as If every change IN
the organism attended by definite chemical
steal action" In summing the differences drawn from
scientific facts Hunt has the following words in hrs Poe
! try of Science:
"The formation of minerals in the ces Of the rocks the
decomposition metallic odes tho termination OF seeds the
growth the plant the development Of its fruit and Its ult
decay the Of animal e Digestion res
pation and assimilation and all the changes Of external
which take place around the results OF the eAer
else of that principle which we call chemical"
Matteucci says:
"Whenever movement occurs the effect of force
infested certain that transformations of matter
must have taken place. Wherever exered chem
cal action precedes it Caorc electricity and light furnish
every instant with evidence of this But
the numerous chemical actions that in animals which
is the one that gives rise that is put in action
during muscular contraction 1t impossible to give salts
| factory answer to this question"
The Professor does not here the immediate but
the remote Of the force that produces muscular
contraction for he agrees with other psychologists that
the immediate is the dsntegraton and chemical
change OF ntegrant parts Of tne inusoies anu
selves
Electricity cannot be created ponderable mat
ter be changed mponderabe by any of the Creators
works AL kinds of ponderable matter contain certain
nvarable proportional quantity Of combining electricity
which gives bodies their properties, and without whcn
they could exist because matter cannot exist without
properties The proportional quantity of combining cleo
tricty in different bodies is various the properties
of the bodies themselves and neither be Increased nor
diminished without changing the properties Of those be-
dies. Different bodies have different capacities for re-
ceving aud dusng IN additional quantity of free cleo
tricty among their atos and of mpartng 1t again to
other bodies that minus in this respects but this adj
donal quantity does combine with the atoms ele
mens Of these bodies and therefore does not percepby
change their properties and may be elected again with
out chemical agency If the atoms of two distinct COM
pound bodies held together by the same proportional
quantity of combining electricity the properties Of those
bodies identical provided they hold their electricity
with equal tenacty and when appropriated they are
perfectly Indifferent to each other and cannot be COM
bned unless another body plus minus, which has the
power of diminishing increasing the quantity Of
bnng electricity in Of the others intervene and pro-
duce decomposition in the body which it particularly
acts Cairaut has proved by analytical investigation,
that unless the electrical attraction of one body for the
atoms of another be greater than equal to the electrical
of the atoms of the latter body for each other
the two bodies will not combine chemically Therefore,
when different bodies act chemically upon each other in
of their electrical endowments and by decomposng
each other free part of their combining electricity
and when the elements separated recombine and form
pounds decomposed flor decomposition and reconciliation
probably always accompany each other-Faraday part
Of the electricity contained in the substances decompssed
is set free and provided it finds conductor and cir
cult closed appears in the form of current and may
then be used for any purpose-physical, mechanical,
chemical vital; but can never act without closed
circuit
The great cause of the errors into which modern phys
ologiss have fallen is that like the vtaliss they look
the living system itself the producer Of force by the
aid Of oxygen forgetting that oxygen ponderabe mat
ter in ITSELF entirely destitute of force To this magina-
ry force termed chemical they then assign the functions
of Digestion assimilation nutrition &c., and look to these
functions for the production Of muscular force thus
making effects and recprocaly effects and causes
of each other, than which nothing be absurd
But the strongest feature in their laundering copjurng
up imaginary chemical agent and overlooking the dis
covery of Prof Faraday that electricity and chemical a
dainty in the atmosphere at oil times, without which ami
mails cannot live for single hour for though the sys
tenn contains all the essential parts of volaic apparatus
and unured part Of that apparatus may continue to
for time after all external signs Of life have disap
peared yet only consume the agent of power
vousy laid in the centres but cannot produce
this agent which keeps in operation cannot create
electricity, the chemical agent itself This is derived
from the atmosphere is laid up in the centres
and thence conveyed conductors to the organs
in which effects to be produced it is required for
chemical dntegraon Of part of the organs themselves
have shown that the agent that moves the
blood also performs all the other functions in the living
SYSTEM whether they be called chemical or vfta and, II
may be added oil the behests Of that immortal
being which presides ALL at least in manan emana
ton from the Creator himself residing in the BRAIN whose
mode Of existence and operating eludes all nvestga
4 . II.