Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-07-14
NO. 1863.
ORGANIC AND INORGANIC BODIES.

All bodies are either organic or morgan.
ic. The particles which compose our
globe are continually in motion, and new
states or conditions of matter are produced
so that what to day is an organized living
substance, will, perhaps. tomorrow be
inorganic. or dead-and rice rersn. that
, which is now inorganic, will at some
future period, be living so that we NAV,
in imagination, trace the noble dust oi
Alexander, or Cleol atra, and find il STOP
ping a hung-hole. The poets celebrated
lines ht, L an allusion to this fact.
There not atom Of Won earth
But once was living flesh"
| Vegetables are said TO be organised. be-
cause they bear sexual marks and are the
production of male and female. as all
plants not merely grow and feed, but per
pctuate their species. Animals are orgaI-
lied. and in condition 10 the above men
toned properties or powers. which they
have in common with plants and vcgeta-
bles, have a capacity to receive sensations.
and the power of voluntary motion, which
no other substances are supposed TO pos
sess, although even this has been disputed
by some, who contend that plants--the
sensitive plants-have capacity. as the
name implies. 10 receive sensations more
or less powerful. We may add, that the
distinction made by natural philosophers,
between the animal, vegetable. and miner
al Kingdoms is fancifnl and arbitrary, as no
such distinction really exists--as nature is
one, all being in all. and everything in
eyerything-but these distinctions are
made with view to help rs to an under
standing natural plienomena, j, and pro, id
ed that object be achieved. it matters little
how, so that neither time nor energy bo
wasted. Human beings. the inferior ami
mails, birds, fishes trees, plants, &C., are
organized. whereas minerals. crystals,
stones, &c. are inorganic. and may be
broken into thousand pieces, vet each
part will remain perfect mineral, crys-
tai. or stone. The organic laws are differ
ent from the merely physical Il stone. for
example. does not spring from parent
stem; it does not take food it does not in
crease in vigor for time, and then decay
and suffer dissolution-all of which pro
cesses characterize vegetables and ami
mails. Organism, therefore, means the
established modes according to which all
phenomena connected with the production,
health growth. decay. and death of veoe-
tables and animals take place.
All substances whether organic or inor-
ganic are resolvable into yapor or gas. by
the application of heat. 1t is well known
that the solid granite is of igneou. or iier,
origin, and was once in a fluid state, (as
indeed all fluids are nothing more than
solids set in motion by heat, and NAV, for
aught We know. again become so-whilst
the diamond, one Of the hardest substances,
can be made to blaze like paper, and dis
sipate its particles in vapor or gas
Life is called property or organization
because, as already said, all dead MATES,
is Inorganic. while all organic bodies in
clnde the idea Of life. The difference be
tween the life of u caterpillar and bee.
or beetle, is one of degrees only, and
not of essence, which degree of life is en-
tirely dependent upon the organs and their
susccptbilites The horse and the eagle
both live, but the sum and strength of the
sensations eXpeieuced by each are widely
different Human beings are advantage
ously distinguished from brntes. bv the
peculiaritv of their structure or organiza-
ton. The opinion once held by the Mon
boddo tribe of philosophers, that men
were but improved apes, has fled as well
before revelation as before comparative
anatomy. which had demonstrated that
the structure of the ape Is essentially differ
ent, and we need hardly add inferior 10
that of man. The erect position of man
his noble and imposing appearance, his
enormous Uranium. together with the
peculiar structure OF the hand, aptlv termed
the instrument of instruments, must con-
vince the most sceptical, that if man is not
yet ''noble in reason" or in faction like
an angel" he may speedily become so.