ic current to act upon them. It was not long before he saw, to his
delight, a new set of foliage starting from the twigs, and after a
little time the tree was again flourishing in all its beauty. The
electric current had evidently imparted to it a fresh vitality.

To insure the success of such an experiment, a proper regard to
polarization must be had, such as is taught in the system presented in
this book. There may not have been any attention to this matter in the
case just related; but if not, the Judge must have _stumbled_ upon the
correct application of poles. To have brought the roots under the
influence of the wrong pole would have made sure the death of his tree.

Now, although, if taken by themselves, such experiments could not be
regarded as _conclusive_ in favor of the electric nature of vegetable
vitality, notwithstanding that this theory best explains the phenomena;
yet, when considered in connection with the fact that the nervous fluid
of the animal kingdom is evidently a modification of electricity, and
probably constitutes the vital force of the animal, the theory of its
identification, under another modification, with the vital principle in
the vegetable kingdom also, as deduced from experiments like those just
adverted to, receives strong confirmation, and is now, I believe, being
adopted by many of the best philosophers of the age.

EXTENT OF ELECTRIC AGENCY.

When we have settled upon the position that the electricity of the
heavens and of the artificial machine are identical, and that their
identity is essentially one with galvanism, magnetism, the electro-vital
fluid of animal and the life-force of the vegetable kingdoms, it
requires no extravagant imagination, nor remarkable degree of
enthusiastic credulity, to suppose that all the forms of physical
attraction and repulsion are due, under God, to the diversified
modifications of the same all-pervading agent--ELECTRICITY. Indeed, for
myself, I feel no hesitation in expressing it as my belief that
electricity, in one phase or another, and controlled only by WILL, is
the grand motive-power of the universe. I believe that, in the form of
electro-vital fluid, the great Creator employs it as His immediate agent
to carry on all the functions of animal life; and that, in respect to
voluntary functions, He subordinates it as a servant to the will of the
creature, to effect such cerebral action and such muscular contractions
as are demanded by the crea