from lower and less complex, and these latter from the lowest and 

 most simple forms. 



I should have been glad to have added to this sentence, and 

 also that the lowest forms of life have been developed, and are 

 still being developed, fi'om organic matter, but I cannot fully 

 satisfy myself on this latter point ; and having read over most of 

 the arguments used by Dr. Bastian in favour of Archebiosis, 

 supported as they are by experiments, I must say that I am not 

 convinced that inert matter is in the present condition of the 

 earth, without the interposition of life, capable of being changed 

 into living matter. 



It is well here to observe that by the action of vital force 

 inorganic substances do become organic. The whole Vegetable 

 Kingdom may be said to feed, and therefore to be developed from 

 inorganic matter, under ordinary circumstances. 



It is therefore patent to every one that plants can change 

 lifeless matter into living ; and it will form the great problem 

 for future investigation, whether, without the intervention of life, 

 living forms can be evolved. 



It is, I think, quite satisfactorily shewn that lower forms of 

 life do appear in closed glass vessels, the contents of which have 

 been boiled and hermetically sealed; this fact, I think. Dr. 

 Bastian has proved, and further. Dr. Burdon Sanderson has made 

 similar experiments, the account of which has been published by 

 him in ''Nature," January 9th, 1873, pages 180 and 181. The 

 result fully satisfied his mind of the fact, and, I think, would 

 satisfy the mind of any candid person. 



But then it does not necessarily follow that the life shewn to 

 exist in the turnip infusion, experimented with, was spontaneously 

 produced. 



The germs of life of very low organisms might not be destroyed 

 by boiling for ten minutes, nor by the fact that almost the whole 

 of the air had been expelled from the glass vessel by boiling. 



Further, it may be remarked that the Bacteria Torulte and 

 other low forms of life were developed from decaying organic 

 matter, and that they were developed, as Dr. Bastian claims to 

 have been the case in other experiments, from inorganic matter, 

 is, I think, not proved. Still, the whole question must be re- 

 garded in a proper scientific spirit, and not treated dogmatically. 



Dr. Bastian's book may be considered a valuable addition to 

 the literature of the subject of spontaneous generation, and he 



