Page:Memoirs of John Abernethy, F.R.S - with a view of his lectures, writings, and character (IA b28035719 0002).pdf/20

14 ABERNETHY’S ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS. the necessity of explaining Mr. Huntor’s ideas of life before he could render his (Hunter’s) explanation of the various phenomena intelli- gible. In all of this he certainly was expressing Mr, Hunter’s own views, with that talent for ornamenting and illustrating everything he dis- cussed, for which he was so remarkable,

Aberncthy multiplied the illustrations by showing the various analogics which scemed to him to be presented in the velocity, the chemical, and other powers of Life and Electricity; and with especial reference to the extraordinary dis- coveries of Sir Humphrey Davy, added such illustrations, as more recent achicyements in chemical scicnee had placed within his grasp ; and thence concluding it as evident that some subtile, mobile, invisible substance scemed to pervade all nature, so it was not unreasonable to suppose that some similar substance or power pervaded animal bodies. He guarded himself, however, both in his first and again in his second Course of Lectures, from being supposed to iden- tify Life with clectricity, in a long paragraph especially devoted to that object. In his second Course, in 1815, he proceeded to enumerate �