ORIGIN OF LO IVES T OR GAXISMS. 1 5 



simple or complex, is on the wane, its constituent 

 particles (being still portions of living matter) are 

 capable of individualizing themselves, and of growing 

 into the low organisms in question. Just as the life 

 of one of the cells of a higher organism may continue 

 for some time after the death of the organism itself, 

 so, in accordance with this latter view, may one of the 

 particles of such a cell be supposed to continue to 

 live after even cell-life is impossible. 



Now, to many persons, the latter seems to be a 

 much simpler hypothesis than the former, and one, 

 moreover, which is more in accordance with known 

 facts. People's views, however, on this subject are 

 likely to be much influenced by their notions as to 

 the possibility of Bacteria arising by a process of 

 Archebiosis. Although some may be inclined to ac- 

 cept the doctrine of Heterogenesis, the same persons, 

 being "vitalists," may not readily believe in the 

 doctrine of Archebiosis, because this implies the 

 vivification of dead matter the conversion of not- 

 living elements into a living combination. Those, 

 however, who do believe in Archebiosis will if the 

 necessary evidence be forthcoming all the more 

 readily yield their assent to the doctrine of Hete- 

 rogenesis, because it is a much less novel thing 

 to have to believe in the mere transformation of 

 living matter, than in the possibility of its origin de 

 novo. 



Evidence of a tolerably satisfactory nature, how- 



