﻿THE 
  CRITERIA 
  OF 
  LIVINGNESS 
  81 
  

  

  I. 
  Self-disassimilation. 
  

  

  II. 
  Self-preservation, 
  including 
  assimilation, 
  growth, 
  movement, 
  

   feeding, 
  etc. 
  

  

  III. 
  Self-multiplication. 
  

  

  IV. 
  Self-development. 
  

  

  V. 
  Self-regulation 
  in 
  the 
  exercise 
  of 
  all 
  functions, 
  including 
  

   self-differentiation, 
  self-adjustment, 
  self-adapt 
  at 
  i-.n, 
  and 
  

   in 
  many 
  organisms 
  distinctly 
  recognisable 
  psychical 
  func- 
  

   tions. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  very 
  interesting 
  to 
  notice 
  bow 
  this 
  bard-headed 
  found. 
  T 
  

   of 
  what 
  be 
  calls 
  " 
  developmental 
  mechanics 
  " 
  speaks 
  deliber- 
  

   ately 
  of 
  self-preservation, 
  self-increase, 
  self-differentiation, 
  

   self-regulation, 
  and 
  so 
  on. 
  

  

  The 
  statement 
  we 
  propose 
  differs 
  a 
  little 
  from 
  this 
  and 
  

   from 
  others, 
  being 
  an 
  attempt 
  at 
  a 
  logical 
  grouping 
  of 
  the 
  

   fundamental 
  characteristics. 
  

  

  3. 
  Persistence 
  of 
  a 
  Complex 
  Specific 
  Metabolism 
  and 
  of 
  

   a 
  Corresponding 
  Specific 
  Organisation. 
  

  

  The 
  image 
  of 
  the 
  organism 
  is 
  the 
  burning 
  bush 
  of 
  old 
  ; 
  

   it 
  is 
  all 
  afire, 
  yet 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  consumed. 
  Nee 
  tamen 
  consumeba- 
  

   tur. 
  Or 
  it 
  is 
  like 
  the 
  sunlit 
  top 
  of 
  a 
  fountain 
  rising 
  in 
  

   the 
  air; 
  its 
  component 
  elements 
  are 
  restlessly 
  changing 
  on 
  

   their 
  way 
  up 
  or 
  on 
  their 
  way 
  down, 
  yet 
  the 
  form 
  remains 
  

   approximately 
  the 
  same. 
  The 
  peculiarity 
  is 
  not 
  that 
  the 
  or- 
  

   ganism 
  is 
  in 
  continual 
  flux, 
  for 
  chemical 
  change 
  is 
  the 
  

   rule 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  ; 
  the 
  characteristic 
  feature 
  is, 
  that 
  the 
  

   changes 
  in 
  the 
  organism 
  are 
  so 
  regulated 
  and 
  balanced 
  that 
  

   the 
  integrity 
  of 
  the 
  creature 
  is 
  retained. 
  The 
  great 
  English 
  

   physiologist, 
  Sir 
  Michael 
  Foster, 
  used 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  " 
  A 
  living 
  

   body 
  is 
  a 
  vortex 
  of 
  chemical 
  and 
  molecular 
  change 
  " 
  ; 
  and 
  

   the 
  image 
  of 
  a 
  vortex 
  expresses 
  the 
  fundamental 
  fact 
  of 
  

   persistence 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  ceaseless 
  change. 
  

  

  