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  THE 
  UNIQUENESS 
  OF 
  LIFE 
  

  

  all; 
  just 
  as 
  attraction 
  and 
  repulsion 
  are 
  manifestations 
  of 
  

   electrical 
  energy 
  under 
  certain 
  conditions, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  by 
  

   any 
  means 
  the 
  only 
  manifestations." 
  Dr. 
  Assheton 
  went 
  

   on 
  to 
  suggest 
  that 
  in 
  nerve 
  impulses 
  we 
  may 
  experience 
  

   " 
  manifestations 
  in 
  another 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  form 
  of 
  energy 
  

   which 
  under 
  other 
  conditions 
  produces 
  the 
  attractions 
  and 
  

   repulsions 
  and 
  the 
  figures 
  of 
  strain 
  in 
  the 
  dividing 
  cells, 
  

   and 
  the 
  actual 
  cell 
  division 
  ". 
  " 
  Driesch's 
  Entelechy," 
  he 
  

   concludes, 
  " 
  although 
  not 
  supplying 
  the 
  essential 
  qualities 
  of 
  

   a 
  driving 
  force, 
  may 
  perhaps 
  be 
  a 
  complex 
  system 
  of 
  a 
  sim- 
  

   pler 
  vitalistic 
  force 
  with 
  other 
  forces 
  which 
  has 
  within 
  cer- 
  

   tain 
  limits 
  a 
  balancing 
  or 
  compensatory 
  influence 
  upon 
  the 
  

   course 
  of 
  development 
  like 
  that 
  which 
  a 
  gyroscope 
  has 
  in 
  

   compensating 
  (within 
  certain 
  limits) 
  for 
  disturbances 
  to 
  

   the 
  course 
  of 
  a 
  monorail 
  vehicle 
  ' 
  (p. 
  76). 
  

  

  The 
  disadvantages 
  of 
  this 
  position 
  are 
  the 
  following: 
  

   first, 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  prove 
  the 
  independence 
  of 
  the 
  alleged 
  

   new 
  force 
  or 
  energy; 
  second, 
  to 
  attach 
  much 
  theoretical 
  im- 
  

   portance 
  to 
  it 
  reminds 
  us 
  warningly 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  mistake 
  of 
  

   making 
  much 
  of 
  organic 
  compounds, 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  alleged, 
  

   could 
  . 
  not 
  be 
  formed 
  without 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  the 
  ' 
  vital 
  force 
  ' 
  

   resident 
  in 
  organism 
  ; 
  third, 
  the 
  inadequacy 
  of 
  the 
  physico- 
  

   chemical 
  formulae 
  to 
  describe 
  animal 
  behaviour 
  or 
  the 
  like, 
  

   does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  a 
  kind 
  which 
  would 
  be 
  affected 
  by 
  

   the 
  discovery 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  form 
  of 
  physical 
  energy 
  either 
  within 
  

   or 
  without 
  the 
  organism. 
  Yet 
  the 
  theory 
  that 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  

   a 
  special 
  kind 
  of 
  power 
  or 
  energy 
  operative 
  in 
  living 
  crea- 
  

   tures 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  sound 
  science, 
  and 
  must 
  be 
  impartial- 
  

   ly 
  tested 
  by 
  biologists. 
  There 
  seems 
  nothing 
  very 
  unlikely 
  

   in 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  living 
  matter 
  may 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  effect 
  an 
  or- 
  

   ganisation 
  of 
  movement 
  in 
  some 
  way 
  which 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  under- 
  

   stand. 
  The 
  theory 
  has 
  nothing 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  Ostwald's 
  sug- 
  

  

  