THE ECTOPLASM 



often been compared to protozoan pseudopodia, especially 

 to those that are extremely tenuous and fine. Years ago 

 in a work that never has received adequate attention, 

 Mrs. Andrews^ emphasized the capacity of these threads for 

 ceaseless changes which she spoke of as a spinning activity 

 of the protoplasm. 



The tremendously impressive fact of the existence of ecto- 

 plasmic structure finds here for the first time its proper 

 appreciation. A structure which can rightfully be denom- 

 inated a sine qua non of living matter can be presumed 

 to have significance for the grand problem of biology, 

 the revelation of vital phenomena. In the following pages 

 I aim to establish the thesis that in ectoplasmic behavior 

 we witness the expression of activities that set apart the 

 living thing from the non-living, that mark how life main- 

 tains itself ever in harmonious tempo Avith the ceaseless 

 changes in its surroundings. 



^ Andrews, I.e. 



103 



