INTRODUCTORY LETTER TO SENATOR MOSSO xv 



In 1890, in an address 1 delivered before the Section 

 of Biology of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, at the Indianapolis meet- 

 ing, I first presented the view that there is a distinct 

 correlation between the amount of protoplasm and 

 the rate of growth, as determined by the experiments 

 just referred to. In an article 2 entitled "Ueber die 

 Vererbung und die Verjiingung," which has been 

 translated and republished in the American Natur- 

 alist, certain other general aspects of the quantitative 

 study of protoplasm are dealt with. Finally, part of 

 the conclusions developed were embodied in the 

 "Middleton Goldsmith Lecture," 3 before the New 

 York Pathological Society, in March, 1901. 



May I explain my point of view a little more fully ? 

 The proper object, the final purpose, of biology is 

 the discovery of the nature of life. The existence, or 

 non-existence, of a vital force is a problem concerning 

 which a great many dogmatic assertions have been 

 put forth. It is evident, however, that all opinions 

 as to the essential nature of vitality, however much 

 they have differed otherwise, are pretty much alike 

 in lacking both scientific foundation and intellectual 

 value. The agnostic position is the only possible 



1 " On Certain Phenomena of Growing Old," Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv, 

 Science, xxix. 



2 " Ueber die Vererbung und Verjiingung," Biol. Centralbl., xv., 571-587. 

 Transl." " On Heredity and Rejuvenation," American Naturalist, xxx, 1-9 ; 

 89-101. 



3 "The Embryological Basis of Pathology," Science, N. S., xiii., 481-498 ; 

 also Boston Med. Sur. Journal, cxliv., 295-305. 



