220 ON THE CAUSES

muscles. As therefore no labour has been
really exercised in any way relating to the wine,
a tenth more of labour cannot be correctly considered
 as having been expended upon it, unless
 that can be truly regarded as having occurred
 which never happened.
Doctrines of this kind, which attempt to reduce
 all phenomena to a uniform expression,
ought to be rigidly scrutinized. In the present
instance, the eminent writer just quoted appears
 to have been seduced by a preceding false
generalization, that, namely, which designates
capital as accumulated or hoarded labour. This
is at best an aukward mode of expression, which
can answer no good purpose. When we accumulate
 we add one thing to another, and it is
essential to the process, that both should remain
 in existence. But labour, consisting in
the mere exertion of muscular power, or in the
equally evanescent motions of the brain, continually
 perishes in detail, and therefore admits
of no accumulation. It may be alleged, nevertheless,
 that when a series of days’ labour