THE LIVING SUBSTANCE. 



155 



Most important of all does it seem, that the function of all 

 substance organs, simple and compound, is more or less inter- 

 mittent, evanescent or recurrent, the recurrence having com- 

 monly a rhythm which may be for the local organ statedly 

 self-supporting, statedly dependent, or uncertain because con- 

 tingent on uncertain aid from within or without. Separating 

 out from the continuous network of phases, those lines or 

 rhythmic modulations formed by linkedly recurrent phe- 

 nomena, they too weave in substance life history a coarser web 

 or maze of sequences and inter-relations. Sequence lines of 

 minute substance phenomena form part of larger rhythms, 

 these in their turn create still broader organic inter-relations. 

 Each phenomenon of the local substance organ is not in each 

 for itself alone but for all relations with other parts of the 

 vesicular organism. Again, each phenomenon is not for imme- 

 diate time alone but may be vitally, or indirectly, causative or 

 restraining for remote as well as for directly sequent phe- 

 nomena. Often numbers of other linked or associated phe- 

 nomena must arise and pass before its fulfilment is ripe. The 

 end of any substance organ and its function may lie in the 

 developmental history of a coming generation, or even of sev- 

 eral generations in advance, for the linked causal nature of 

 substance phenomena is very far reaching. Direct results of 

 physiological activity may have a purely physical or chemical 

 value, or both, and from these again may be built up new 

 physiological manifestations. Whatever its origin, — to what 

 end a substance organ of minute extent and simplest vesicular 

 organization is to function, or by, or through, what remote sub- 

 stance activity it has been prompted, must at all times be in 

 full beyond the grasp of the wisest man. No matter where 

 situated, nor within the limits of what broadly marked organ 

 of the organism it may lie, it may have, or be, a remote result 

 or cause, having little actually to do with its immediate func- 

 tional surroundings. The instability of substance organization 

 and the migrant protoplastic nature and habit of the substance 

 alone make clear that results or products of local structure and 

 function cannot be limited in sequent effects to the same 

 locality. There is also much distribution of local products of 



