PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEMS.

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of Animals are determined by their anatomical systems,such as the body and head; or the intestines, and theflesh and senses. Hence two grades in the animal king-dom. Animals are, as it were, the dismembered body ofman made alive. The classes of animals are the specialrepresentation in living forms of the anatomical systemsof the highest being in creation.

Man is considered, in this system, not only as the keyof the whole animal kingdom, but also as the standardmeasure of the organization of animals. There existsnothing in the animal kingdom which is not representedin higher combinations in Man. The existence of severaldistinct plans of structure among animals is virtuallydenied. They are all built after the pattern of Man ; thedifferences among them consist only in their exhibitingeither one system only or a larger or smaller number ofsystems of organs of higher or lower physiological import-ance, developed either singly or in connexion with oneanother, in their body. The principles of classification ofboth Cuvier and Ehrenberg are here entirely negatived.The principle of Cuvier , who admits four different plansof structure in the animal kingdom, is, indeed, incompati-ble with the idea that all animals represent only theorgans of Man . The principle of Ehrenberg, who con-siders all animals as equally perfect, is as completelyirreconcileable with the assumption that all animals repre-sent an unequal sum of organs; for, according to Oken,the body of animals is, as it were, the analyzed body ofMan , the organs of which live singly, or in various com-binations as independent animals. Each such combina-tion constitutes a distinct class. The principle upon whichthe orders are founded has already been explained above.(Chap. II, Sect, iii, p. 235.)

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