The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-04-09
Chemistry Of Life and Death. =.

wrought by death,--the dissolu-
ton Of the grave,-should have no
more of horror, Of repulsion, than
should those equally marvellous
processes by which the phenomena
of life are maintained. Each in
its way, and for its own special
purposes, is but the chemical dis
integration of organic substances,
preparatory to their assimilation
in new forms under the same gen.
eral conditions, the life functions
gathering and binding in new COM
binations the elements released by
the dissolution of decaying orga n
isms, while those processes which
come with death are but the TAX
ing apart, and distributing anew
the elements of the lifeless and
now useless fabric.
Beginning with the chemistry
of life-with that universal in
stinct which from the first moment
of conscious existence is collecting
from every quarter the needed nu-
triton: which hides within tissues
and integuments the alchemy by
which that process of decomposi-
ton called digestion, is carried on;
which seizes these dissolving ele.
ments, as they are passing away,
and through a thousand hidden
channels sends them In crimson
floods to every part of the organ
ization to be nourished by them:
which charged with duties as con-
stant as they are varied, neither
ialters nor errs in its ceaseless
rounds, but bears as needed and
when required, to every part of
the complex organization, that
just adapted to its special wants:
No form of organic or inorganic
matter escaping its rcquisitions--
no part, from rigid bone to aexile
hair overlooked in its distribution;
but at the double command, that
of the great central motor, the
heart, which bids i! go, and that
gentler one of affinity which
beckons il TO come, each atom of
lime, of iron, Of gas or of water,
speeds to the place where the
waiting tissues are to take them
up until the man, needless of the
charnef house he bears within him,
of the complex chemistry OF
which be is but the passive result,
stands forth, the perfect organiza-
ton that we behold him.
Nor is this all. For fifty. per.
haps for a hundred years, this tire.
less toiler with sleepless vigilance
maintains this wondrous work.
And this is life-life created from,
and supported by decay, by disin.
tergration, by death. Upon none
of this do we look with repulsion
and, mavelous though it be, scarce
with surprise.
At last there comes change
Tho object, the end of all thi.
effort is reached-the purpose ol
the artifcer is accomplished. This
framework, brought together with
SO much skill, maintained with
such watchful assiduity, has sub
served the design Of the Creator.
The forces that have SO long sus.
tanned, pause for but a moment
and the man is dead; but the
builder, the artifeer of all this is
neither dead nor sleeping. In her
realm there is no rest, in her work
no cessation. Bringing together
and bearing apart are alike her
mission, and not an instance does
she pause in her work. To the
servants that have gathered at her
command, that have builded so
deftly at her bidding, goes her
mandate, return to the clements
from which il was fashioned this
useless frame. In it's creation the
myriad forms OF all the past have
paid tribute, and the boundless
life of the future demands its re-
turn. Make no delay. How
swiftly IS. she obeyed. AS we
gaze the water vanishes upon In
visible wings. Thesunbeams have
caught it up, pure and stainless, as
though it we're the dew drop wooed
from the bosom of q flower. and