NUTRITION. 213 



Igo Kaup, of Vienna, which date from 1902, tell us as 

 uncertain a tale as their predecessors. The increase 

 in the destruction of albumen has not been constant; 

 the conditions of the observations do not justify our 

 making an assertion either pro or con. 



Destruction of Living Matter. — As no certain 

 answer is supplied by experiment, theory intervenes 

 and gives two conflicting answers. The majority of 

 physiologists are inclined to believe in the destruction 

 of the living substance as the result of its own func- 

 tional activity. The functional activity would there- 

 fore destroy not only the reserve-stuff, but also the 

 protoplasmic material. This is the current view. 

 Only this opinion is strongly challenged by the 

 positive teaching of science. It is certain that this 

 material, in the muscle, is but little attacked, if it 

 is attacked at all. We have seen above that the 

 physiologists, with Pfliiger and Chauveau, are agreed 

 on this point. The vital functional activity in par- 

 ticular is destructive to the reserve-stuffs. It does 

 not destroy them much; it destroys the organic 

 material still less. Both would be repaired in func- 

 tional repose. 



Growth of Living Matter. — The second assertion is 

 diametrically opposed to this. Not only, says Le 

 Dantec, is the muscle not destroyed in the functional 

 activity, but it grows. Contrary to universal opinion, 

 the protoplasmic material increases by activity, and it 

 is destroyed in repose. There would thus be a 

 general law — the law of ftmctional assimilation. "A 

 cell of brewers' yeast when introduced into a sugared 

 must makes this must ferment, and at the same time, 

 so far from destroying it, it increases it. Now, the 

 fermentation of the must is exactly the same as the 



