WITH THE MICROSCOPE. 311 



length undergo conversion into tissue. It is living matter ; and by 

 the word living, I mean, that in this matter phenomena are observed 

 which have not been explained-- phenomena which cannot be 

 accounted for by any known laws, which cannot be imitated arti- 

 ficially, and which have never been observed anywhere but in living 

 things. Among the peculiar properties or powers of every mass of 

 living matter, are 



1. The power of altering and appropriating certain soluble matters, 

 and communicating to these, properties or powers of the same nature 

 as those which the living matter itself possesses. 



2. The power of moving in all directions the passage of one 

 part of a living mass to another part, so that one portion may 

 advance itself in front of another portion, or encircle another. 



3. The power of causing the elements of matter to take up 

 definite relations towards one another, so that definite compounds, 

 often exhibiting definite structures, may result, when the matter 

 ceases to live. 



4. The power of infinite increase. 



By my observations I hope to establish the important conclusions 

 that the formation of all tissues and organs, no matter how different 

 their ultimate structure and office may be, is due to changes which 

 have much in common taking place in matter in a very peculiar 

 state, which cannot be correctly termed a physical state and is not 

 in any way comparable with any other state in which matter is 

 known to exist. These conclusions enable me to describe the 

 structure of the most complex tissues and the changes which occur 

 during their growth very simply. It is not necessary to discuss in 

 any given case what is ' cell wall,' ' cell membrane,' or ' intercellular 

 substance,' 'cell contents,' 'nucleus,' 'nucleolus,' 'primordial utricle,' 

 ' protoplasm,' ' blastema.' For every structure consists of matter in 

 two states: The living or germinal state and the formed and lifeless 

 state. All increase, multiplication, division, &c., is due to matter in 

 the first state and to that alone. Living particles do not aggregate 

 together to form one mass, but one mass may divide and separate 

 into a vast number of distinct living particles, each of which may 

 grow and become a mass like the first. 



Every particle of the living or germinal matter comes from a 

 pre-existing living particle, and every piece of tissue, and formed 

 matter of every kind derived from a living being was once in the 

 condition of germinal matter. 



Careful investigation of the relations which the germinal matter 

 bears to the formed material at different periods of growth, and the 

 careful study of these two kinds of matter in the various textures, 



