Trmis. N. V. Ac. Scz. 84 Feb. 5, 



But far more important is its supposed mode of motion. If we at- 

 tempt to analyze the elements of this reticulum, in order to demonstrate 

 by it the motion of living matter, even the priinu»i iiiovcns of muscu- 

 lar fibre, we have to imagine one mesh of this network as a rhombus 

 or a triangle, whose sides have granules at their angles, and which are 

 impelled forward by the contraction of the sides, acting in the diagonal 

 of a parallelogram of forces, of which these sides represent two. We 

 have to deal, in the first place, with two forces instead of one, which 

 we wish to define, and withal forces similar to the one to be defined. 

 We are reasoning in a circle. The syllogism includes the postulate of 

 contractility of the elements of the reticulum; To demonstrate in this 

 way the contractility of muscular fibre \s a. a demonsiratio ad ab- 

 surdum. 



The importance of this controversy cannot be overrated, if we con- 

 sider that the question of the motion of protoplasm involves the high- 

 est reflection in regard to the origin of lile — the priimim movens 

 vitcB. 



Dr. L.S. Beale, in the last edition of his great work on protoplasm, has 

 an appendix, in which he treats upon the influence which this concep- 

 tion of vital motion exerts on the highest fundamental truths of Chris- 

 tianity. In this he discusses the connection between protoplasm and 

 the machinery of the motion of life. If living matter has a mode of mo- 

 tion, this must be analogous to other modes produced by cosmic forces, 

 or it must be peculiar and unique. But even if — as some suggest^— liv- 

 ing force and motion are evolutedfrom other morganic or cosmic forces, 

 we are, at the present state of physical science, where all the different 

 wave and vortex motions are not at all yet determined, far from being 

 able to venture a hypothesis on the mode of motion of living matter. 

 Until then, we must content ourselves with the distant analogy, look- 

 ing up to those stars that possess their given motion in their own cen- 

 tre, and applying the same inherent individual force, given to the sim- 

 plest unit of organic matter, whether in the brain-cell (Hoeckel's sout) of 

 human beings, or in the lump of protoplasm dredged up from the bot- 

 toiff of the ocean ; and observing it to move of itself, we exclaim " de 

 profundis." 



Mr. A. H. Elliott referred to the experiments of Dr. Crookes 

 on " radiant matter," and enquired whether there were any means 

 of explanation of the motion of the granules of living matter anal- 

 ogous to the molecular motion observed by that investigator. 



Dr. ScHOENEY remarked that mere molecular motions were sim- 

 ply helped or retarded by the different physical forces, but that the 



