The Philosophy of Health; Volume 1 (of 2): or, an exposition of the physical and mental constitution of man — John Shaqi
The Philosophy of Health; Volume 1 (of 2): or, an exposition of the physical and mental constitution of manSmith, Southwood
Philosophy
The Philosophy of Health; Volume 1 (of 2): or, an exposition of the physical and mental constitution of man
Smith, Southwood
Hygiene; Physiology
In like manner the distinction between an animal and a plant is, that
the animal possesses properties of which the plant is destitute. It is
endowed with two new and superior powers, to which there is nothing
analogous in the plant; namely, the power of sensation, and the power
of voluntary motion; the capacity of feeling, and the capacity of
moving from place to place as its feeling prompts. The animal, like
the plant, receives food, transforms its food into its own proper
substance, builds this substance up into structure, generates, and
maintains a certain temperature, derives its existence from a parent,
produces an offspring like itself, and terminates its existence in
death. Up to this point the vital phenomena exhibited by both orders of
living creatures are alike: but at this point the vital processes of
the plant terminate, while those of the animal are extended and exalted
by the exercise of the distinct and superior endowments of sensation
and voluntary motion. To feel, and to move spontaneously, in accordance
with that feeling, are properties possessed by the animal, but not by
the plant; and therefore these properties afford characters by which
the animal is distinguished from the plant.
The two great classes of living beings perform, then, two distinct
sets of actions: the first set is common to all living creatures; the
second is peculiar to one class: the first set is indispensable to
life; the second is necessary only to one kind of life, namely, the
animal. The actions included in the first set, being common to all
living or organized creatures, are called ORGANIC; the actions included
in the second class, belonging only to one part of living or organized
creatures, namely, animals, are called ANIMAL. The ORGANIC actions
consist of the processes by which the existence of the living being is
maintained, and the perpetuation of its species secured: the ANIMAL
actions consist of the processes by which the living being is rendered
percipient, and capable of spontaneous motion. The ORGANIC processes
comprehend those of nutrition, respiration, circulation, secretion,
excretion, and reproduction; the first five relate to the maintenance
of the life of the individual being; the last to the perpetuation of
its species. The ANIMAL processes comprehend those of sensation and
of voluntary motion, often denominated processes of relation, because
they put the individual being in communication with the external
world. There is no vital action performed by any living creature
which may not be included in one or other of these processes, or in
some modification of some one of them. There is no action performed
by any inorganic body which possesses even a remote analogy to either
of these vital processes. The line of demarcation between the organic
and the inorganic world is, therefore, clear and broad; and the line
of demarcation between the two great divisions of the organic world,
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