Sec. 8. Human Body is a Complex Animal Machine
The human soul knows, feels and wills. It resides in the brain and governs the body by means of the brain and nerves; the stomach digests the food and makes nutriment for the body; the heart pumps the blood to and from the several parts of it, the arteries and veins carry the blood from the heart and back to it; the blood carries fresh building materials to every part of the body, and gathers up, and carries waste matter back to the heart and lungs; the lungs purify and enliven the blood; the liver secretes bile and cleanses the blood; the muscles and bones move the body and every part of it; the nerves carry messages from the brain to every part of the body and from every other part to the brain; the kidneys and other organs perform their functions; the work of all these organs being necessary to keep the body in good working order. The brain, stomach, heart, arteries, veins, lungs, blood, muscles, bones, kidneys, etc., may each be considered as a complex animal machine, designed and constructed to perform its special functions.
The body, as a whole, is an animal machine, which does much work peculiar to itself.
The functions of all organs other than those of the brain and voluntary muscles are performed by them, independently of the will. In other words: all the organs of the body except the brain and the voluntary muscles appear to act automatically as an automatic machine does. For example, the stomach, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys appear to do their work as automatic machines, independently of the will; nor has man any direct control, nor power over the work of any of his organs except that of the brain and voluntary muscles. Thus, he cannot directly compel his stomach to digest his food; nor has he any direct control over the action of his heart, nor over that of his lungs; nor can he directly compel his liver to secrete bile. All he can do is to take medicine or some other substance into his stomach, and thence into his blood to stimulate, reduce, or modify the action of his organs; or change his environment.
No male has any direct control nor any voluntary agency in the formation of spermatozoä in his genital organs; nor has any female any control over, nor any voluntary part in, the formation of eggs in her ovaries. In fact fully ninety-nine per cent of mankind are wholly ignorant of the existence of spermatozoä and ova (eggs), having no knowledge, whatever, of the mechanism by which their own offspring are brought into being.
What are we to infer from these facts? Can we believe that the functions of the heart and other involuntary muscles do their work, automatically, without the aid of any extraneous psychic force? Can we believe that the mysterious spermatozoön, and ovum are produced in the genital organs of the male and female, without their knowledge and without the aid of any psychic or creative force, whatever? Is it possible for the atoms of which each spermatozoön is composed, to assemble and group themselves, automatically into it without the aid of a supernatural psychic and creative force? In another section of this work, I have argued that each spermatozoön is a new, direct and special creation. The same is true of each ovum. I believe that the same psychic and creative force which generates, guides and controls the forces, that build up the body of the embryo, continues to generate, guide and control many of the forces which affect the human body during its whole life. I believe that the same force determines the growth and waste of cells; and by this means fixes the size of each normal body. Why does an elephant grow larger than a mouse; an ox larger than a man; an eagle larger than a humming bird? How does it happen that all men, elephants, mice, eagles, etc., are of substantially the same size?
It is clear that neither man nor an other animal, has any control over the growth of cells in his body, nor over his own size. The cells of which these bodies are built up, have no intellect, memory nor will-power. It would be impossible for them to know when a sufficient number of cells have been made to bring these bodies to their proper sizes. The cells have no power to control their production nor their waste. It follows that the Creator must govern and control the forces, which produce the cells in each animal body; and that he fixes within certain limits, the form and size of each body.