.1890.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 23 



fungus," that germinal matter is met with in varying proportions 

 in all living tissues, but that it is most abundant in those most 

 actively growing, and that, in the earliest period of their exist- 

 ence, tissues are entirely composed of it. He claims to have 

 shown " that every particle of matter exhibiting vital phenomena 

 is derived, not from the formed material, but from pre-existing 

 living or germinal matter, which exhibited similar phenomena, 

 and so from the first creation." This living matter is always 

 colourless, always contains much water, and is structureless and 

 formless, although Doctor Beale says that it " consists of par- 

 ticles, which, when free, invariably become spherical," and that 

 these s])herules " are composed of spherules ad infinitum." 

 Finally, he expresses the belief that, in the living state, " the 

 elements of the matter and the forces associated with them are 

 maintained in some remarkable and exceptional condition 

 which is quite peculiar, to which no parallel whatever can be 

 offered." and which he attributes " to the operation of Vital 

 Fo7<.'er." 



Doctor Beale's King's College lectures were greatly expanded 

 in later years, and underwent changes of form and of name ; 

 but I cannot see that much was really added to the substantial 

 framework of his theory. A considerable weight of controver- 

 sial matter, was, however, superimposed, and this proved, as 

 might be expected, an element of . weakness rather than of 

 strength. But, although his later works did not actually enlarge 

 the scope of his hypothesis, they afforded him opportunity to 

 state more fully his views of some of the less essential details. 

 Thus he was able to elaborate his conception of the wide sepa- 

 ration between his two forms of organic substances, and to 

 insist with more emphasis " that between the living state of 

 matter and its non-living state there is an absolute and irrecon- 

 cilable difference ; that, so far from our being able to demon- 

 strate that the non-living passes by gradations into, or gradually 

 assumes the state or condition of the living, the transition is 

 sudden and abrupt ; and that matter already in the living state 

 may pass into the non-living condition in the same sudden and 

 complete manner ; that while in all living things chemical and 

 physical actions occur, there are other actions, as essential as 

 they are peculiar to life, which, so far from being of this nature, 

 are opposed to, and are capable of overcoming, physical and 



