302 NOTICES OF THE MEETINGS — [April 15, 
the principal bulk of its tissues being formed by the periplastic 
substance ; and, 2; in the nature of the chemical changes which 
take place in the periplastic substance in each case. This distinction 
however does not always hold good, the Ascidians furnishing 
examples of animals whose periplastic substance contains cellulose. 
«« The Plant, then, is an Animal confined in a wooden case, and 
Nature, like Sycorax, holds thousands of ‘ delicate Ariels’ imprisoned 
within every Oak. She is jealous of letting us know this, and, 
among the higher and more conspicuous forms of Plants, reveals 
it only by such obscure manifestations as the shrinking of the Sen- 
sitive Plant, the sudden clasp of the Dioncea, or, still more slightly, 
by the phenomena of the Cyclosis. But among the immense variety 
of creatures which belong to the invisible world, she allows more 
liberty to her Dryads; and the Protococci, the Volvox, and indeed 
all the Algze, are, during one period of their existence, as active 
as animals of a like grade in the scale. True, they are doomed 
eventually to shut themselves up within their wooden cages and 
remain quiescent, but in this respect they are no worse off than 
the Polype, or the Oyster even.” 
In conclusion, the Lecturer stated his opinion that the Cell- 
theory of Schwann consists of two portions of very unequal value, 
the one anatomical, the other physiological. So far as it was 
based upon an ultimate analysis of living beings and was an ex- 
haustive expression of their anatomy, so far will it take its place 
among the great advances in Science. But its value is purely 
anatomical, and the attempts which have been made by its author, 
and by others, to base upon it some explanation of the Physiolo- 
gical phenomena of living beings by the assumption of Cell-force, 
Metabolic-force, &c. &c. cannot be said to be much more philo- 
sophical than the old notions of ‘‘ the actions of the vessels,” of 
which physiologists have lately taken so much pains to rid them- 
selves. 
“The living body has often, and justly, been called, ‘ the House 
we live in; ’— suppose that one, ignorant of the mode in which a 
house is built, were to pull it to pieces, and find it to be composed 
of bricks and mortar, — would it be very philosophical on his part 
to suppose that the house was built by brick-force? But this is 
just what has been done with the human body. — We have broken 
it up into ‘cells,’ and now we account for its genesis by cell-force.”” 
[(T. H. HJ 
