THE LIVING SUBSTANCE. 



107 



ologically active element of protoplasmic masses. In its last 

 resolvable arrangement it has always the form of a pellicle or 

 membrane surrounding fluid inclusions. It is the contractile 

 and irritable substance. It forms all living contact surfaces. 

 It is the sentient substance. ^ It is the bearer of those physi- 

 ological powers, functions, habits, and instincts which charac- 

 terise the living substance. Upon its response in character of 

 its powers, or properties, to specific and general environment, 

 depend all the physiological phenomena characterising areas, 

 masses, or organisms, as such. It is homogeneous throughout 

 all areas alike, as to its intrinsic powers and characters, but 

 not as to the specific, or habitual, expression of these, which 

 varies with its chemical or physical contacts. (See following 

 sections.) 



All pathological or abnormal states of the organism, or of 

 organs or areas, are directly due to abnormal states of the 

 continuous substance, and secondarily to abnormal difference 

 in the specific or immediate stimuli for this; either in the 

 affected area or in those which control, or are controlled by, it. 

 Death of the organism or the area is due to irretrievable dis- 

 organization of the continuous substance in the chief tributary 

 areas or in the whole area. The initial stages of decomposition 

 are always the dissolution of an organized arrangement of the 

 continuous substance, and, after variable protoplastic activities 

 of this, a dissolution of its organized finer structure, and the 

 replacing of both organizations by a purely physical vesiculation 

 having an optical appearance of a fine structure of Biitschli.^ 



The discontinuous elements, or protoplasmic inclusions, are 

 most heterogeneous, in their ultimate subdivisions defying 

 chemical analysis, as they do all effort to separate them optically 

 from the lamellae of the continuous element as such. 



They form the chemical contacts or specific controls, that 

 is, the specific environment, of the living substance. They are 

 the secretions, assimilation products, excretions, and hoarded 

 reserves of the living substance proper. In Biitschli's structure 



^ See following sections. 



2 This statement is the outcome of many direct experiments with areas of living 

 organisms and whole organisms. 



