THE ORIGIN OF BACTERIA AND OTHER MICRO-ORGANISMS 27 



that bacteria are morphologically as well as physiologically essentially 

 different from other living things upon the earth, more especially those 

 species which form endospores. As already suggested, bacteria apparently 

 have no phylogenetic relationship to any of higher forms of planet or 

 animal life, nor yet to any of the recognized protozoa or protophyta. 

 May it not be possible, for example, that the xerophytic and anaeroJbic_ 

 pathogens, such as the Bacillus tetani, B. botulinus, and B. cedematis 

 maligni have reached us from the moon, where the meteorological conditions 

 are suitable for the existence of this type of organism. May it not even 

 be possible that these pathogens of comparatively high specific gravity and 

 endowed with extreme temperature resistance were the chief actors in 

 the final lunar struggle for the survival of higher life. As the moon was 

 bombarded by planetary bodies most, if not all, of the higher organisms 

 were no doubt killed by the shocks of impact and the heat generated. 

 Such higher forms as survived were unable to continue when the life 

 sustaining atmosphere and moisture become more and more reduced, 

 thus favoring more and more those .lowly organized living structures 

 which could thrive in this rarefied atmosphere and dry condition. 



As suggested the comparatively large and highly refractive toxigenic 

 spore forming bacilli may have reached us from the moon. The smaller 

 plasmodia and very small non-spore-forming bacilli may have come to us 

 from Mars and Venus, and perhaps also from Mercury. The temperature 

 on Venus is higher than it is on the earth whereas the mean temperature 

 on Mars is lower, even though the polar snows of that planet occasionally 

 disappear entirely during some seasons, which never happens on the earth. 

 These differences in planetary temperatures suggest that the germs of 

 yellow fever, of amebic dysentery, of the African sleeping sickness, of 

 leprosy and perhaps also of malaria, may have come from Venus ; whereas 

 the germs of rabies, of la grippe, of whooping cough, of scurvy, of the 

 plague and perhaps also of smallpox, may have come from Mars. 



4. The Theory of Universal Evolution. The belief in the genetic 

 or evolutional relationship of all things in the entire Universe, is of ex- 

 treme antiquity. According to an ancient Hindoo myth, at the beginning 

 of things there existed a mundane or cosmic egg or germ from which all 

 animate as well as inanimate things successively emerged. The scholars 

 of Athens, of Rome and of Alexandria held similar ideas. Later, the idea 

 became more definitely formulated by such master minds as Huxley r 

 Spencer and others. The same idea is further developed and matured by 

 the teachings of the physicists and now we find ourselves compelled to go 

 back in our study of evolution and bring with us all matter, organic and 

 inorganic, living and dead, atom, molecule and compound. 



Biological science has convinced us that death and decay are essential 



