Trans. N. V. Ac. Sci. 44 Nov. 21,. 



the scourges of humanity, cancer and tubercle, it will be through such 

 researches. But he thought that much of the discussion which had 

 been excited by these investigations had been irrelevant and confusing, 

 especially that in regard to the seat and nature of life, into which 

 microscopists and chemists had entered with great earnestness and 

 some acrimony, but with no satisfactory result. In this discussion 

 some writers had made the ultimate cell the seat of life, and had 

 glorified and almost deified it. Others claimed that the cells were only 

 portions of a general vitalized and automatic tissue ; while others still 

 contended that the phenomena of vitality were the mere manifestations 

 of chemical changes taking place in structure otherwise lifeless. 



With none of these views could he sympathize, as there had really 

 been no approach to an end in the effort to localize or analyze life. 

 Unless we accept the materialistic theory of spontaneous generation, 

 advocated by Dr. Bastian, but rejected by most biologists, we must 

 confess that no more is now known of the origin, nature and seat of life 

 than was known to Aristotle. All we have done is to acquire a better 

 knowledge of the machinery by which the functions of life are accom- 

 plished ; most important knowledge truly, since it enables us to dis- 

 tinguish between normal and morbid life action in the tissues where this 

 action begins, and promises to point the way for promoting the one, and 

 preventing the other — but limited to the methods in which the life force 

 acts, not reaching the inscrutable and intangible force itself. 



The work done by a microscopic cell is wonderful and incomprehen- 

 sible to us, yet all cells work not as independent individuals, but as 

 members of a community, and for a common end. For example, the 

 terminal cell of the fibril of a plant root is a delicate vesicle — the cell in 

 its simplest form, and yet when new born, and having existed but the 

 fraction of a minute, it begins its special work of supplying certain food 

 elements to the plant above ; and this it does with a discrimination 

 which is infallible. Water it absorbs by endosmosis, and, when deficient, 

 begets progeny to send for it. It also appropriates other things that 

 are necessary to the growth of the plant to which it belongs, whatever 

 that be ; if tobacco, an unusual quantity of potash ; if grass, of silica. 

 It always works to a pattern determined by the character of the plant 

 whose general economy it serves, and is controlled by the influence 

 which gives to that plant its special and recognizable leaf, flower and 

 fruit, its noxious or alimentaiy qualities. So in all other parts of the 

 structure the cell is doing its allotted work in a community of which it 

 forms an integral part. It is therefore in no sense an independent indi- 

 vidual. Our notions of what constitutes an individual or a community 

 may seem to us quite clear, but they are in fact likely to be somewhat 

 confused. Every man recognizes and asserts his own individuality, but 



