BY W, J. BYRAM. XVU 



than ever from the solution of the problem. While it was 

 thought that life was the property of a complex substance — ^pro- 

 toplasm — it did not seem a very wild inference that human 

 daring and ingenuity would overcome all difficulty, determine its 

 molecule, and then, by a masterpiece of synthesis, make the 

 substance artificially. Even if it were a mixture of proteid sub- 

 stances, still the attempt did not seem utterly beyond the powers 

 of the chemist. But now the whole aspect is changed. That, 

 even if he understood it, the biologist could succeed in making 

 the delicate mechanism of protoplasm, and that stiF more subtle 

 and baffling complex — the nucleus — is about as probable as that 

 the astronomer of the future will succeed in making a voyage to 

 the planet Mars. We must be content, therefore, to plead 

 ignorance. To say candidly, " I do not know," is quite scien- 

 tific, for, coupled with the admission of ignorance, there is 

 always the determination to strive to conquer it, however vast 

 may be the difficulties ahead, and however faint maybe the hope 

 of overcoming them. Above all, we must not be tempted to 

 bridge over lacunje in our knowledge by dogmatic assertions, 

 or to forget the lessons of caution which the history of the cell 

 theory teaches us. Although presenting the aspect of high 

 probability, the mechanical theory of life is still hypothesis, and 

 we have no right to assert it otherwise. All we can say is, that 

 the observed phenomena all appear to be in unison with it, and 

 that being so, it forms the best working theory, and must be 

 accepted provisionally, unless and until it is displaced by a 

 nearer approximation to the truth. 



A vote of thanks to the retiring President for his address 

 was moved by Mr. John Cameron, M.L.A., seconded by Mr. S, 

 G. Martin, and carried by acclamation. 



The proceedings then terminated. 



