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206 DOCUMENTS CONCERNINCJ SWEDENBORG.
abridgement would be unintelligible. It is enough to say, that he declares the
blood to be more than merely living matter ; it stands, as it were, half-way be-
tween spirit and matter, partaking of the qualities of both ; it is as if the point
of contact between the soul and the body ; and from it, or rather through it, the
body derives its lif^ Thus the heading of the eleventh chapter, of this treatise
is, ’ That the globule of the red blood contains in itself purer blood and the
animal spirit, and that the purest essence and soul of the body is here ; so that
the red blood is a spirituous and animated humor’ (humor spirituosus et ani-
matus). The heading of the next chapter is, ’That the red blood partakes
almost equally of soul and body, and that it may be called as well spiritual as
material.’
" Now it is an interesting circumstance, that while this long-neglected work
was passing through the press, science has at last, and by accident, discovered
the vitality of the blood, and placed this fact upon a firm basis. The number
of Silliman’s Journal, just published, contains, on page 108, under the head of
’ Researches on blood,’ some experiments of the celebrated chemist^ M. Dumas,
published by him in June last. After some account of his experiments and
their results, the statement goes on thus : in attempting to overcome this diffi-
culty, * M. Dumas discovered the remarkable property of the blood globules,
that as long as they were in contact with the air or aerated water, in short, as
long as they were in the arterial condition, the saline solution containing them
passed colorless through the filter, and left them upon it : on the contrary, as
soon as the globules have assumed the violet tint of venous blood, the liquid
passes colored.’ After detailing certain experiments then tried by Dumas in
consequence of this discovery, the following statement is made :
—* Thiis the
globules of the blood seem to possess vitality, as they can resist the solvent action of sulphate
of soda as long as their life continues, but yield to this action readily when they have
fallen into asphyxia from privation of air.’
"
The same Magazine for Nov. 1830, contains the following :
Science of Crystallography.—" It is generally known that Swedenborg had much
celebrity as a scientific man, before he began to publish his theological works.
He was the author of several volumes on various departments of natural science,
which are now little known. Some of the members of the New Church have
partially examined a few of them, and it is said, that there are indications which
make it probable that the germs of many later discoveries might be found in
them. We have no means of judging how this may be ; but we hope that it
will not be long before those who have the leisure and ability to pursue these
inquiries, will do so. We make these remarks, because we have lately met
with an acknowledgment of his scientific merit, of some interest. The science
of Crystallography is of recent origin, and has lately attracted the notice of some
very able men. Nearly all simple substances and many of the compounds found
in nature have regular forms. These are of almost every variety of shape, but
each substance- Aa5 its own,- and this original figure, as it may be called, often
serves to distinguish substances which it would be difficult otherwise to discrim-
inate. The basis of the science is an analysis of the various figures, so that
they may be reduced to a very few simple forms, which by addition one to the
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