93 DR. BEALE, ON THE TISSUES. 



whicli it sprung, and may "be regarded as an individual. The 

 liigher organism is composed of an immense number of 

 elementary parts which are dependent npon each other and 

 cannot exist separately. An elementary part of the simplest 

 organism is composed of an immense number of minute 

 particles, every one of which may live and grow and produce 

 its kind independently of its neighbours and of the stock 

 from which it was derived. 



It Avill be inferred that I hold that vital power is not 

 generally diffused over tissues but is restricted to the particles 

 of the germinal matter only. Often a very gradual transition 

 may be traced from the particles of germinal matter to the 

 formed material. It is not possible to define the exact point 

 at which a particle ceases to possess the power of animating 

 lifeless matter and acquires the properties of the formed 

 material. The change is a gradual one. Probably for a 

 certain period particles possess the power of growing rapidly 

 dividing and subdividing into multitudes of new ones. Next 

 the power becomes more restricted. They may divide into 

 two, and the process may continue in the resulting parts, but 

 at length this ceases and the particles become converted into 

 the material, the production of whic'i is the end for which 

 they lived and w^ere produced. One miglit say therefore that 

 the vital activity of the particles gradually becomes reduced 

 as they recede from the centre at which they become animated. 

 If the term life and vital actiA ity be used, several degrees 

 must be admitted. The particles seem to pass bj^ almost 

 insensible gradation from the liighest point of vital activity 

 to a state from which they i^ass uninterruptedly towards a 

 comparatively quiescent condition which is followed by death 

 and disintegration. Changes in chemical composition as well 

 as in physical properties are associated with the diil'erent 

 phases of existence. During the life of the particles as 

 germinal matter, the arrangement of the elements must be 

 altered in such a manner that new combinations may take 

 place while the change into formed material proceeds. It is 

 probable that very many substances of definite composition 

 are produced and undergo conversion into other compounds 

 during these changes. 



The most important points which I have endeavoured to 

 prove in this course of lectures may be summed up as 

 follows ; 



1. That the smallest living elementary part of every living 

 structure is composed of matter in two states, forming and 

 capable of increase, upon which the active phenomena are 

 entirely dependent, — and a substance external to this, which 



