EVIDENCE PROVING THE STATEMENT OF THE CASE 29 



built up of two classes of matter, while on the other 

 hand all matter which we call mineral matter or 

 inorganic matter is devoid of cells. The latter are 

 simply masses of molecules, often appearing homo- 

 geneous, while in the former case structural alterations 

 are seen, molecules adhere to molecules, and by adher- 

 ing together they form an outer skin or coat of the 

 cell. It is not absolutely necessary for the cell to have 

 a coat or skin. Cells often consist apparently of a viscid 

 homogeneous clear substance molecules attracting 

 molecules it is called " protoplasm." 1 Marvellously 

 wonderful, marvellously complex, yet the microscope 

 has proved the fact. And you, reader, and every 

 human being, every animal you see, every creature 

 you see on the earth, in the air above the earth, 

 or in the waters all are mainly built up of these 

 cells. 



And the molecules, that is, the objects of which all 

 matter consists, are individuals having their likes and 

 dislikes, their passive and active conditions ! In mass, 

 they have their free condition as a fluid, their attracted 

 condition as a solid. And so subtle is the influence 

 of molecules on molecules, that experiment proves that 

 when solids are absolutely not touching each other, 

 they are effecting operations or influences, mass upon 

 mass (p. 75). 



1 " The protoplasmic molecule is vastly more complex than any of 

 the compounds which we have hitherto succeeded in synthesising. 

 It might take up and form new and unstable compounds with carbon 

 dioxide or formic aldehyde, or sugar, or anything else, and our 

 present methods of investigation would fail to reveal the process." 

 (Professor R. Meldola, F.R.S., &c., President's Address, Chemical 

 section British Association Ipswich. 1895.) 



