CORRELATION OF VITAL WITH CHEMICAL
AND PHYSICAL FORCES.
Vital force; whence is it derived? What is its relation to the other forces of Nature? The answer of modern science to these questions is: It is derived from the lower forces of Nature; it is related to other forces much as these are related to each other—it is correlated with chemical and physical forces.
At one time matter was supposed to be destructible. By combustion or by evaporation matter seemed to be consumed—to pass out of existence; but now we know it only changes its form from the solid or liquid to the gaseous condition—from the visible to the invisible—and that, amid all these changes, the same quantity of matter remains. Creation or destruction of matter, increase or diminution of matter, lies beyond the domain of Science; her domain is confined entirely to the changes of matter. Now, it is the doctrine of modern science that the same is true of force. Force seems of-
