462 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [December 



as a whole maintains a sort of equilibrium, in which only reac- 

 tions of a certain type are possible. This may be referred to as 

 the A equilibrium. Inevitably, through the accumulation of cer- 

 tain materials, the A equilibrium will be upset. After a period 

 of readjustment, the B equilibrium will succeed; this will be 

 followed by the C equilibrium, and so on. The total number of 

 distinct equilibria in the life program of any organism probably is 

 in rough proportion to phylogenetic age. 



Taking as an example the A' equilibrium, certain questions may 

 be considered. What is it that accounts for the existence of the 

 X equilibrium? It is the inevitable result of reactions which 

 took place during the W equilibrium. The W equilibrium may be 

 similarly accounted for by the previous existence of the V equi- 

 librium. The program is an inevitable one, and will be followed 

 during each generation. 



Under conditions imposed by the X equilibrium, only reactions 

 of a certain type are possible, and these may be referred to as the 

 x reactions. A number of x reactions are possible, x l} x 2 , x 3 , etc. 

 Chance conditions (environment, directly or indirectly) will 

 determine which of these will take place. Whichever takes place, 

 there will result a by-product, and this by-product will be of the 

 x type. Even more specific than this, the x 3 reaction will result 

 in and be characterized by the x 3 by-product. As the existence 

 of the X equilibrium was inevitable, there will inevitably be laid 

 down one of the * type of by-products. Since, however, it was 

 chance which specifically selected the x 3 reaction, this same chance 

 is indirectly responsible for the by-product x 3 , rather than x lf x 2 , 

 or any of the other possibilities. 



The by-product x 3 will exist in an active state and exert some 

 influence upon the protoplast so long as the X equilibrium con- 

 tinues. The eventual disappearance of the X equilibrium will be 

 accompanied and characterized by the insulation of by-product 

 x 3 by means of a specific antibody which has been developed by 

 the protoplast. The Y equilibrium will follow; and, just as the X 

 equilibrium was characterized by the free active existence of by- 

 product x 3 , one of the characteristics of the Y equilibrium will be 

 the existence of x 3 in an insulated inactive condition. The by- 



