THE PROPERTIES OF PROTOPLASM 5 



some of the results of the possession of affectability 

 (always excepting automatism, an interesting ex- 

 ception, as we shall see) ? From my point of 

 view, irritability is not something in the same 

 category with, not of the same order as movement, 

 secretion, &c., but is more fundamental a property 

 of living matter, in fact, while the other things are 

 results of its existence phenomena or manifestations 

 of vitality. Affectability is rather the essence of 

 vitality on the existence of which these others 

 depend from which they flow. 



To go no further than the phenomena instanced 

 by Foster and M c Kendrick, I would prefer some 

 such classification as the following : 



Essential or Fundamental 



Properties of Protoplasm. Vltal Manifestations or Results. 



I Assimilation, certain aspects of 



(i) Affectability. . metabolism, movement, secre- 



\ tion, and reproduction. 



) r Automatic molecular changes, 

 certain other aspects of meta- 

 bolism, e.g., reproduction and 

 rhythmic movements. 



I prefer to put it that certain phenomena are the 

 result of protoplasm being affectable ; but we must 

 not mix up affectability with certain of the signs of 

 its existence : it is a causal condition, they are 

 effects, it is an antecedent condition, they are 

 consequences of it. Being affectable, protoplasm re- 

 sponds to a stimulus the nature of the stimulus being 

 for the present of no moment and these responses 



