The Presidenfs Address. By L. 8. Beale, F.B.S. 209 



matter to that which is non-living in a given bulk. But between 

 the particles actually living and the matter around them, which 

 is non-living, there is no gradation whatever. Living particles 

 may be very near to the non-living, nay, they may touch them, but 

 the actual state of the one is totally different from the actual state 

 of the other. The change is really sudden and abrupt, and the 

 differences between the particles are not of degree, but of kind, and 

 are essential, irreconcilable, absolute. 



But the very contrary of all this is taught far and wide at this 

 very time. It is maintained by many writers and thinkers that 

 between the living and the non-living there is no clearly marked 

 demarcation, that the one passes by insensible gradations into the 

 other, that the phenomena of living matter are of the same order 

 as those of non-living matter. It has been recently laid down by 

 Dr. Allman, at the last meeting of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, that an analogy between the phenomena 

 of living matter and the phenomena of lifeless matter is to be recog- 

 nized, although he neither mention sthe particular phenomena to 

 which he refers, nor points out any particular forms of living matter 

 and lifeless matter which exhibit the analogy he declares. Is it too 

 much to ask that Dr. Allman and those who think with him upon 

 this important question of the nature of life, and the supposed 

 analogy between the vital and non-vital phenomena, should explain 

 themselves more clearly, and point out the flxcts to which they 

 appeal, and upon which they profess to rely, in support of the view 

 they entertain ? For my own part, I shall be grateful to any one 

 who will bring to any of our meetings any specimen of living matter 

 which illustrates the supposed transition from the non-living to the 

 living, or of non-living matter which is supposed to manifest phe- 

 nomena exhibiting analogies to those of living matter. Up to this 

 time I cannot admit that any one holding the views I controvert 

 has advanced facts which in any way justify that doctrine, and I 

 maintain that the conclusions generally entertained and taught with 

 regard to the actions of living matter and non-living matter are not 

 to be justified and are really incorrect. 



Living Matter. — Dead Matter. — Protoplasm. 



Every one hero is familiar with the appearance of living matter 

 under the Microscope, as seen, for instance, in the colourless, trans- 

 parent, moving substance of a living Amceba ; but as some con- 

 fusion has resulted from the careless use of terms, I shall be obliged, 

 in order to make myself clear, to trouble you with a little criticism 

 as regards thu plan adopted by many of naming the things tlioy aro 

 describing, and the ingenious device of calling matter in absolutely 

 diflerent and irreconcilable states by the same name. We want to 



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