THE LIVING SUBSTANCE. 



31 



to pressure, of the whole eggs, or of the peripheral areas. The 

 same held true of internal areas, which had rhythms of resist- 

 ance, and at the same time showed like variation in resistance 

 to pressure.^ 



If we simply throw eggs into some killing and hardening 

 material, and wait for them to be dead enough, and hard 

 enough, to resist the severe strain of subsequent operation, we 

 necessarily miss much information from the substance as to 

 how it is affected ; and how it reacts to the treatment. 



It seems to me such use of reagents should also be considered 

 in the light of inducing pathological conditions ; that the 

 chemicals used should be watched as modifiers of the living 

 substance, — as drugs, in short. It is not impossible the science 

 of medicine may thereby be indirectly aided. (See Selection of 

 Environment.) 



[25] Most remarkable of all physiological peculiarities cor- 

 related with areas which are marked by stable or rhythmic 

 viscosity of the substance, as associated with organization of 

 its elements ; is an increased tenacity of life under adverse 

 conditions. 



[26] I find that when an organism is crushed, or dissected, 

 the power of continued existence is shown most specially by 

 two groups of substance structures, whether the creature be 

 Metazoan, or Protozoan : 



In the Protozoan, those portions which at all or most times 

 maintain protoplastic activities, notably those which are filose ; 

 and those portions which show marked organization of the 

 elements for contractile activities : 



Those portions of the Metazoan which at all or most times 

 maintain protoplastic activities as their characteristic activity ; 

 and those areas which show marked organization for contractile 

 activities. 



When an aquatic Metazoan is crushed, the muscular tissues 

 are the last to die, — that is, to become vacuolated, and to 

 have disorganization of the elements set in. 



The same is true of all aquatic Protozoa and the few endo- 

 parasites I have examined. 



^ See also Activities ; — rhythms of viscosity in starfish eggs. 



