ViluUiy and Orgaiuzaiion of Proioplasm. ~ 27 



organism. And this can take place only : either by spontaneous genera- 

 tion, as taught by Spencer, Haeckel and Naegeli, or by self-division, 

 as assumed by Darwin, De Vries and Weismann. Under the first sup- 

 position, that of spontaneous generation, the essential tenet of the gen- 

 eral theory of evolution is being egregiously contradicted. For this 

 leading theory emphatically maintains that only by most gradual phy- 

 letic elaboration can such highly developed vital units have been pro- 

 duced. And here, in direct opposition of this irrefragible rule of evo- 

 lution, countless numbers of just as highly constituted units are de- 

 clared to be spontaneously and suddenly formed out of mere nutritive 

 material. To such straits are foremost advocates of organic evolution 

 pushed by the logic of their erroneous premises! Their highly com- 

 plex organic units are conceived as specific chemical molecules. And 

 no chemical molecule, even of the most elementary composition, can by 

 its mere presence transmute different chemical molecules into its own 

 likeness. Much less can the chemical units here assumed, which ac- 

 cording to the theory arc the most highly developed single beings in ex- 

 istence, have power to transmute by their mere presence or otherwise 

 random nutritive material into their own consummately elaborated con- 

 stitution. Nor can it be scientifically conceived when and where vital 

 properties can possibly effect their entrance, or come into existence, 

 among the groups of chemical units held to compose the tissues of adult 

 organisms. 



And here it is important to remark that we are indirectly touching 

 upon the pre-eminently vital problem of assimilation, and therewith of 

 genuine organic growth, which is something entirely different from 

 mere increase of bulk through accumulation of separate units. It is 

 safe to say that this essential vital activity, which underlies growth and 

 reproduction, can nowise be scientifically interpreted by aggregational 

 theories. A vital imit has no power to produce other vital units out 

 of nutritive material, and cause thereby genuine organic growth, lead- 

 ing ultimately to the development of adult organisms, as maintained by 

 Spencer, Haeckel, Naegeli and others. 



The other alternative, adopted by Darwin, De Tries, Weissmann, and 

 their followers; the alternative, namely, of proliferation and increase 

 of bulk by means of self-division on the part of the asumed vital units ; 

 this supposition leaves likewise the entire problem of assimilation un- 

 solved. For it is clear, that in this case the iiltimate vital units have 

 first of all themselves to grow by assimilation of nutritive material be- 

 fore they can divide. And this is exactly the vital process that has to 

 be explained. We desire to know how an organism grows from a germi- 

 nal beginning to maturity under assimilation of nutritive material. And 

 we learn nothing by being told that an organism grows to maturity 

 because it is composed of constituent elements or units that grow to 

 maturity and then divide. The process of growing to maturity by 

 means of assimilation of nutritive material remains here entirely oc- 

 cult, and this obfuscation involves all ontogenetic evolution. 





