﻿WITH 
  THE 
  DOMAIN 
  OF 
  THE 
  INORGANIC 
  73 
  

  

  and 
  purposiveness. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  domain 
  of 
  mechanically 
  neces- 
  

   sitated 
  sequences 
  without 
  alternatives 
  and 
  of 
  uniformities 
  

   without 
  exceptions. 
  In 
  all 
  probability 
  this 
  quality 
  of 
  uni- 
  

   formity 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  quite 
  indispensable 
  basis 
  for 
  the 
  super- 
  

   structure 
  of 
  life, 
  affording 
  stability 
  for 
  the 
  experiments 
  and 
  

   endeavours 
  that 
  have 
  doubtless 
  been 
  characteristic 
  of 
  organ- 
  

   isms 
  from 
  the 
  first. 
  

  

  12. 
  The 
  Suitability 
  of 
  the 
  Inorganic 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  Basis 
  and 
  

  

  Environment 
  of 
  the 
  Organic. 
  

  

  We 
  wish 
  in 
  conclusion 
  to 
  allude 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  interesting 
  

   fact 
  which 
  will 
  demand 
  further 
  attention 
  later 
  on 
  that 
  

   the 
  not-living 
  earth 
  exhibits 
  many 
  remarkable 
  fitnesses 
  to 
  

   be 
  the 
  home 
  of 
  life. 
  Living 
  means 
  trafficking 
  with 
  the 
  en- 
  

   vironment 
  ; 
  to 
  do 
  this 
  effectively 
  organisms 
  must 
  be 
  complex 
  

   and 
  yet 
  coherent, 
  plastic 
  and 
  yet 
  durable, 
  and 
  they 
  were 
  

   able 
  to 
  gain 
  these 
  qualities 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  fundamental 
  prop- 
  

   erties 
  of 
  the 
  primary 
  constituents 
  of 
  the 
  inanimate 
  environ- 
  

   ment. 
  The 
  properties 
  of 
  Water 
  and 
  Carbon 
  dioxide, 
  the 
  

   tendency 
  some 
  forms 
  of 
  matter 
  have 
  to 
  complexify, 
  the 
  prop- 
  

   erties 
  of 
  the 
  colloid 
  state, 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  as 
  a 
  

   medium, 
  these 
  and 
  other 
  inorganic 
  data 
  are, 
  as 
  Prof. 
  L. 
  J. 
  

   Henderson 
  (1913, 
  1917) 
  has 
  shown 
  in 
  detail, 
  extraordina- 
  

   rily 
  well 
  suited 
  to 
  be 
  pre-conditions 
  of 
  organisms. 
  We 
  must, 
  

   of 
  course, 
  avoid 
  arguing 
  in 
  a 
  circle, 
  for 
  that 
  the 
  earth 
  should 
  

   be 
  ' 
  friendly 
  ' 
  to 
  living 
  creatures 
  is 
  not 
  surprising, 
  since 
  

   in 
  their 
  physical 
  nature 
  they 
  are 
  bone 
  of 
  her 
  bone 
  and 
  flesh 
  

   of 
  her 
  flesh 
  her 
  very 
  children. 
  Yet 
  when 
  we 
  give 
  full 
  

   consideration 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  living 
  creatures 
  as 
  material 
  

   systems 
  are 
  in 
  no 
  wise 
  foreign 
  to 
  the 
  earth, 
  but 
  are 
  in 
  deep 
  

   and 
  subtle 
  ways 
  congruent 
  and 
  solidary 
  with 
  it, 
  perhaps 
  we 
  

   shall 
  not 
  be 
  inclined 
  to 
  brush 
  aside 
  hurriedly 
  the 
  suggestion 
  

  

  