18 Vitality and Organization of Protoplasm. 



nomenon. Yet with Naegeli this mere aggregational increase of bulk 

 is the fundamental and essential characteristic of life. 



As to the alleged causes operative in organic evolution, it is scien- 

 tifically inconceivable how the molecular forces of separate micellae can 

 affect the constitution of adjacent micellae divided by a watery film, 

 so as naturally to differentiate and to develop their respective chemical 

 composition. The separate micellfe neither chemically combine, nor 

 can they cause among one another any kind of nutritive elaboration. 

 How, then, under such conditions, by mere multiplication of micellae, 

 and self-division of overgrown groups of the same, can these micellar 

 groups come to be so diversely constituted as to form the respective 

 germs of the differentiated tissues of higher organisms? And, above 

 all, how come groups of crystalline micellse to be at all alive, to be real 

 bearers of vital properties? Cells can be here only mere clusters of 

 micellse themselves lifeless, and by no sort of grouping and combination 

 of molecular forces across their watery film, can they be made to per- 

 form the vital functions of higher organisms; to perform, indeed, the 

 vital functions of the most elementary organism? 



And, surely, it is no less intelligible how idioplasm, which is held 

 to consist of definite groups of divers organic crystals, can come me- 

 chanically, by combination of their molecular forces, to be intrinsically 

 endowed with a tendency to phyletically evolve. It is obvious, there- 

 fore, that instead of a mechanical interpretation, an occult vitalistic 

 principle is here introduced as the real cause of phyletic evolution, or 

 as Naegeli calls it, "Autonome Vervollkommnung." 



But conceding to Naegeli all he claims for his phyletically evolved 

 idioplasm ; conceding that the idioplasm of the germ-cell of multicellular 

 organisms consists really of differentiated groups of micellae, each rep- 

 resenting the specific germ of a specific tissue of the adult organism; 

 conceding all this Naegeli fails to show how the differentiated cells of 

 the adult organism are actually reproduced by the idioplasm. I'or, 

 first of all, it is scientifically unintelligible how micellae, as vital and 

 organizing units, can spontaneously form or crystallize out of albuminous 

 solutions, or can be made to form in such solutions by the mere pres- 

 ence of already existing micellae; and then it is visually and mechanic- 

 ally unrepresentable how a specifically arranged group of micellae, and 

 furthermore an entire cross-section of a complex strand of such groups, 

 can divide and be thereby bisected into two equal parts, so that each 

 part will contain an equal number of diverse micellae, grouped in the 

 same specific manner as in the parent groups. No such mechanical 

 division of complexly variform groups is conceivable. An infusorium, 

 as a unicellular being, would consist, according to Naegeli, of a specific- 

 ally ordered and oriented group of micellee. Try to divide it mechanic- 

 ally lengthwise, or in any other way, and nowise could two equal halves, 

 equal as regards the specific grouping of their micellae, be ever brought 

 about. The division of an infusorium into two structurally equal be- 

 ings is a specifically vital process transcending any mechanical mode of 



