THE president's ADDRESS. 245 



be so bold as to express any bare, crude opinions upon points at 

 issue, whicli I have neither time, opportunity, nor ability, fairly or 

 fully to discuss. 



But with all deference, and subject to all correction, I would 

 venture to take up the question at the jDoint at which the Pan- 

 spermists leave it, and beyond which, so far as I know, the Hetero- 

 genists have not generally advanced. And I would submit to you a 

 few considerations which occur to my own mind as indicating the 

 direction in which jDOSsibly an answer may be found to the question, 

 " How can living organisms originate if living germs are absent ?" 



In order to render clear the view I would suggest to you, I am 

 afraid I must resort to a somewhat roundabout mode of explana- 

 tion. 



In the first place. That which we call matter exists, as we know 

 it, in various forms and combinations. Some forms are so simple 

 that they have not been yet separated into simple forms, and they 

 are therefore termed elementary. Other forms are so complex 

 and composed of so many elementary forms, combined in such an 

 intricate manner, that no satisfactory analysis has yet been made. 

 These various forms of matter may assume, or may be made to 

 assume, various physical conditions. Thus they may become 

 heated, electrical, magnetic, or luminous. And some of the forms 

 of matter may become living. Now the comparative facility with 

 which any form of matter may be made to assume any of the con- 

 ditions specified, varies with its character and composition. Thus 

 we know that some substances may be made hot, or electrical, or 

 luminous, much more easily than others ; and the number of sub- 

 stances that can be readily made to manifest the magnetic condi- 

 tion is very limited. We know, too, that the forms of matter that 

 can become living are also limited in number, and that they pre- 

 sent various peculiarities in physical character and chemical com- 

 position. 



In the next place. A portion of matter in any particular con- 

 dition may transfer, as it were, to a certain extent, its condition to 

 any other portion of matter in relation with it, provided always that 

 the second portion of matter is free to assume that condition. 

 Thus, if a body in motion comes in contact with another which is 

 at rest, but which is free to move, the second body partakes of the 

 motion of the first, and moves proportionately. So again, if a 

 substance which is hot, or electrical, or magnetic, is brought into 



