48 LIFE: ITS NATURE AND ORIGIN 



dendritic or larger groups; (4) the tiny units now slip, snap, or re- 

 orient to form large crystals, which are usually full of tiny im- 

 perfections, as many, including Sir William H. Bragg, Smekal, 

 and Zwicky have noted. 



According to Professor G. W. Stewart 11 x-ray and other evidence 

 indicate that the molecules within a liquid fall roughly into two 

 classes: (1) those comparatively free; (2) those in semi-orderly array. 

 He terms these fluctuating molecular "mobs" cybotactic groups, which 

 in the case of liquid para-azoxyanisol, may consist of perhaps 100 to 

 1,000 molecules. In a liquid crystal of this substance these companies 

 are ordered into regiments composed of perhaps millions of mole- 

 cules. In the case of numerous kinds of liquid crystals (O. Lehmann, 

 1889), these "regiments" form still larger groups of various kinds, 

 some smectic (soap-like), others nematic (worm-like). 12 



In 1907, I independently observed the effects of colloids on 

 crystallization. But the phenomenon has been repeatedly noted 

 by others. 13 Many artifacts, bearing remarkable resemblances to 

 structures developed by living units, have been produced by forma- 

 tion in the presence of colloids. 14 In 1925 I drew special atten- 

 tion 15 to a most remarkable but unappreciated book by Dr. Wil- 

 liam M. Ord. 16 This book, which I first chanced to see adver- 

 tised in a second-hand dealer's catalog, sums up the work done by 

 Ord, George Rainey of St. Thomas' Hospital, Professor Hartung 

 of Utrecht, and others, much of which is buried in oubliette 

 journals. Of the many interesting observations (e.g., the use of 

 double colloidal protection) I here give the following excerpt 



17 



"It will be useful first to review the more important of the processes 

 by which the modification of the crystalloid to the spheroidal form is 

 effected. 



"(1) A new salt is formed by decomposition, and caused to combine 

 in its nascent state with the colloid . . . The colloid may be of the 

 proteid or the gelatinous kind, or amyloid, or pectous, or an isomeric 

 modification of an organic crystalloid, as uric acid, or of an inorganic 

 crystalloid, as silicic acid, peroxide of iron, etc. Thus Mr. Rainey 

 mixes two gummy solutions of the reacting salts;* Professor Hartung 

 places solid salts at different points of an albuminous solution; in 

 my own plugged tubes the reacting solutions are placed on opposite 

 sides of a thick colloid dialyzer, within which they meet and undergo 

 mutual decomposition. A modification of this condition is employed 

 when urate of soda is formed by boiling uric acid with strong solutions 



* This is actually double colloidal protection. J. A. 



