134 B. T. LOWNE ON SO-CALLED SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 



inorganic matter. Perhaps, as Dr. Bastian suggests, colloid may 

 be intermediate between inorganic and organic living material, but 

 I tell you, gentlemen, this is all expectation, and should not be 

 belief, as we have not at present a tittle of evidence in its favour. 

 No doubt, with Mr. Charles Darwin's hypothesis, the origin of 

 living organic from inorganic matter would supply a gap in 

 the evolution of the animal kingdom : but we must not on that 

 account found a scientific belief. 



Now, sir, I shall very carefully sift the supposed evidence in 

 favour of spontaneous generation ; I shall divide this evidence 

 into that which is purely microscopical and that which is dependent 

 on experiment. 



First, with regard to the microscopical evidence. This consists 

 in the assertion, that some observers have seen organic living cells 

 and fungus spores built up by the aggregation of minute granules. 

 Now, there is very strong evidence that this does not happen ; the 

 organisms described as fungus spores are in some cases not fungus 

 spores at all, and in other cases they have been observed with a 

 hilum or point at which they were attached to a parent. Surely 

 we cannot believe this point of attachment was the character of a 

 spore formed de novo. 



On the other hand, I should be sorry to deny, with my present 

 knowledge, that it is possible organisms of a simpler kind, such as 

 unicellular organisms, may be built up in this way. If such a mode 

 of evolution does take place, I still believe it is from pre-existing 

 germs ; such gemmules, for instance, as Mr. Darwin believes in, 

 in his beautiful provisional hypothesis of pangenesis. I believe, if 

 it can be proved that organisms can be produced by aggregation, 

 it will be found that this only takes place when pre-existing cells 

 have given up their contents in the fluid experimented on. 



In order that you may have a clear conception of Mr. Darwin's 

 theory, I will read to you, to my mind, far the most lucid abstract 

 of that theory that has ever been published. It is a portion of Dr. 

 Hooker's address to the British Association at Norwich, in 1868. 



Dr. Hooker said — " You are aware that every plant or animal 

 commences its more or less independent life as a single cell, from 

 which is developed an organism more or less closely similar to its 

 parent. One of the most striking examples I can think of is 

 afforded by a species of Begonia, the stalks, leaves and other parts 

 of which are superficially studded with loosely attached cellular 



