The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-03

5ft&Eta 5EaUtRieCt. UlL stiOW tuhI IuCy olSo
received refined attention and taste. Poor
her murderers. Two of them committed
suicide, and-thoueh would not pray for
vengeance upon them-a guilty conscience
will probably make other victims.
And now my cold journey Is ended, /
nude the best Of It, and will long remember
with interest my first visit 70 the Western
Shore Of Maryland-my Maryland. God
bless her , sExAGENARIAN.
The Physical Nature of Vital Energy.
By yL1oNEL S. BEALE, N. B., F. B. g.,
Professor Of Pathological anatomy in Kings
College Physician to Kings College Hospital.
The conviction that It Is "oraly by recog-
nizing the physical nature of yital energy
that we can ever hope to establish therapeu-
tics on firm and sound basis" has perhaps
led DR.. Ferrier to express himself rather
decidedly against some views which ven-
tured to put forward some years ago, but
which l am ready to give up as soon as con-
vincing evidence shall be adduced in favor
Of the physical doctrine Of life.
If Dr.. Ferrier will explain what Is meant
bv "molecular organization and "mole-
cular machinery" he will serve the cause
he has at heart far better than by attacking
me for, as he must have gathered from
many otmy remarks, I am quite as anxious
for light as any one can be. What desire
is to learn in what particulars the "tiuing"
resembles and differs from the .snon-hutng."
an quite ready to admit that one living
thing is only some other living thing, or
dead thing, or non.llving thing, variously
modified" "under sundry circumstances"
by "subtle influence )" but I should GER
tainly like to have the meaning of these
very comprehensive phrases explained. A
man may be said to be but dust "variously
modifed;" but consider what is comprised
in the "variously modified !" And per-
right to attribute the marvellous phenom-
am I to be condemned because I prefer to
employ Professionally the simple term ''life,"
or "vitality," or "vital power?"
1t is possible the molecular machinery"
may be discovered, but ut present it is ab-
solutely unknown. 1t has never been seen,
and no one has yet told us whatit looks like
even in his imagination. But yet / must
admit that it is possible such machinery
may be beyond the microscopic limit. The
Imagination OF highly gifted persons may be
able to conceive the structure and mode Of
action Of the molecular machinery of the
existence of which they are perfectly GER
evident even to their sense. Nay, I will
admit further, that sufficient intelligence
might be able to predict from the proper
ties OF its component parts the character
which the offspring of any given piece of
:. molecular machinery" will assume after
/ it has continued to grow and null
tlDly, say, for a thousand years. But
do such suggestions enable us to un-
rayel the mystery of the life of even the
simplest thing now alive, or to determine
in what particulars Iigsng particle differs
from the same particle dead; or why por-
ton of mass Of living matter moves up
wards as well as downwards, OF in what
manner it takes up non-liring matter, and
communicates to this its own properties,
and divides into separate portions, every one
| of whirh possesses equal powers? 1t may
| be answered. "These phenomena are due
to the properties of the molecular machin.
erv which has long been known to exist in
the ilnaeinations of highly gifted persons
| and, although as yet no one has succeeded
| in actually producing such machinery arti.
| ticially, the efforts OF philosophers tend TO.
| wards such consummation !" But Surely
no observer, W hrr Ut science Will teel
satisfied with such statements as these and
few will probably agree with ME in
thinking that, although 1t be in sense
unphilosophical, it is neither inconsistent
nor absurd to entertain the opinion that
the vital phenomena of living matter which
was derived from pre-eXiSting living mat
ter US due to peculiar power; although
| mt the same time I object to accept the view
| that the action of a steam-engine, which
was not produced by pre-. existing steam
engine, is due to "Steanl. engine princi-
/ ple :" and confess it appears to me very
| extraordinary that many advocates of the
| physical theory of life cannot be convinced
| that the analogy they draw between a ma
chine, which does not make itself, or grow,
or multiply-and living matter, which
seems to do all these things, is so very
slight rs to be beyond every limit except
that of the fancy. If those who support the
view which DR.. Ferrier SO strongly advo-
Gates could explain by physics and chem
| istry (a) the movements, (b) the growth,
and (c) the diversion Of any particle of liy-
| ing matter of any organism in this world,
| they might have some excuse for the very
| positive statements they make about the
physical theory of life.
People are beginning to doubt whether,
after all, living things are really so like ma
chimes, and crystals, and physical bases,
and complex albuminoid matters in state
of rapid chemical change, US they have been
| led to believe them to be. And people are
also beginning to doubt If those who have
spoken SO positively on the physical side
really know much more than any one else
| knows about the nature Of life, although,
| from their very decided manner, 1t was
natural to believe they possessed very pecu-
liar and perfect knowledge of the subject.
Whether the physical theory of life would
have resisted much better the " furious on.
| slaughts" that have been made against It, II
some other course had been pursued, Is a
matter Of opinion; but it is quite certain
| that some of the strongest supporters OF
| the doctrine are modifying them still fur
ther. Those who have watched for ten
minutes, under high magnifying power,
| the varied movements OF living matter, and
have thought q little over the question OF
| the neutrition of that living matter, Will not
| easily be brought to believe that such phe.
| nomena are due to physical and chemical
changes only. The number Of such OBJ.
servers increases daily.-Brsttsh Nedica!
Journal.
ANOTHER New MovEMENT.-We print
under our political head a statement made
| by the Richmond correspondent Of the
Petersburg Inder to the effect that paper
| is In circulation in the capital calling on
| the people to send delegates to a conven.
| tion in that city. We give also the com.
ments Of the Dispatch, which, in opposing
the "new movement" seems to regard il
| as one inaugurated by the "Bourbons u
who opposed ''the withdrawal of Colonel
Withers." AS one of those who adhered to
| the Conservative party as originally formed
| to the last moment, we protest against
no 1ipp fhis pramatura rnoyampnt fastened