THE DOGMA OF EVOLUTION 



sumed by matter in the fabric of living things." What 

 causes matter in the simple cells to assume the form 

 of the future complex adult? If it is a physical force, 

 can he show any counterpart of such a force in the 

 material world which assumes motion, or can he show 

 any reciprocal relations of action and reaction be- 

 tween the cell and dead matter*? He can cause the 

 living cell to change to dead matter but he cannot 

 change dead matter into the living cell. Until he can 

 do so, it is he who has made the assumption. Like 

 most men of science he is quite willing to admit ig- 

 norance and a dualistic attitude in matters pertain- 

 ing to other sciences, but he clings to rationalistic 

 monism in his own. 



The cell, to the biologist, is a microscopic body, 

 consisting of a jelly-like mass, called protoplasm, 

 which is insoluble in water. Plant cells have a boun- 

 dary surface of starch, but animal cells have no 

 apparent distinguishing surface. Within the proto- 

 plasm are a few minute granules which become visible 

 when certain stains are applied to the cell. Accord- 

 ing to the biologists it is these little granules which 

 determine the growth and hereditary characteristics 

 of the future organism. A vast literature has grown 

 up about the cell, and it would seem that all possible 

 speculations have been proposed to account for the 

 growth, the splitting of cells, their differentiation, 

 and the change from the primal cell to the adult or- 

 ganism. It is true that many curious things have been 



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