THE ORIGIN OF ORGANIC MATTER 61 



without the action of living protoplasm. Only, up to the present time 

 no chemical system has been devised which can approach the plant in 

 efficiency or usefulness. An examination of the photosynthetic mechan- 

 ism of the plant may, therefore, not be without value for discovering the 

 fundamental principles of the transformation of matter by radiant energy. 



