Vegetative body has its own brain and nervous system and its (involuntary) muscles
This Vegetative body has its own separate (organic) brain, in the Solar Plexus—or "Abdominal brain"—and its nervous system, in the intricate "Sympathetic" system of nerves; which, in addition to administering the nutrition of the body, is intimately and closely associated, in psychology, with the brain and with the spinal-nervous system of the Psychical organism. Itself subconscious, this organic brain nevertheless contributes vital impulse and colour to Consciousness.
It possesses also its own specialised system of muscles, the "Involuntary muscles"; which are not under control of the conscious brain and will, but operate automatically—by so-called reflex action. The motions they subtend are concerned with vital functions; nutrition, respiration, circulation, assimilation, elimination, reproduction.
The Vitative organism, being vegetative of growth and passive of mode, needs rest and sun and wind and air and water for its nurture and development. With that rising of the sap in the world of vegetation which occurs in spring, kindred processes occur within the human vegetative body. It responds to the re-creative forces of its mother-earth.
With every recurring Spring-tide, youth turns again to thoughts of love, because of this natural renaissance of its vitative resources, for purposes of re-creation—both of Cells and individuals.
Old age is a permanent winter of this plant-body. Summer suns revive but little more than flickerings of its vegetative pulsings. Although the psychical life, intellectual and nervous, may be still vigorous, the sap of the plant-body no longer rises, quick and warm and fructifying, to earth's perennial call.
This plant-like body with its plant-like fruiting Cells, it is, that when charged with the graces and magnetic potences of health and high nurture, supplies the pleasing personality found not seldom in sinners, while often conspicuously lacking in saints—a seeming anomaly which has gone far to discredit the virtues.
By way of it, human personality resembles a mystical flowering plant that breathes and feels and moves; and a fruiting plant that reproduces. The Cerebro-Nervous system animates and intelligises this beautiful vessel of flesh wherein it subsists.
The vigour of its Vegetative stock, supplementing brain and nervous system by fine structure, fine stature, organic vigour, native faculty, and reproductive power, has given the Anglo-Saxon race its world-wide rule. It is to this that its women have owed their shapely frames, their healthful constitutions and their loveliness; the warm tints of hair and skin, the fresh and flower-like complexions, and the fruit-like form and bloom of cheek for which they once were famed.
Rich personal charm and sweetness of healthful condition which are all too swiftly passing from our modern women, hag-ridden by a strenuousness that is wrecking the flower-body, with its vital joy and warmth, its grace of being and its bliss of sense, its temperamental thrill and colour.