98 THE PROBLEM OF EVOLUTION 



previous age and under other conditions then 

 prevailing on the earth, and perhaps still prevailing 

 in its interior, living beings came into existence from 

 inorganic matter. In the second place, we say that 

 protoplasm consists of twelve elements, and albu 

 men, which is characteristic of living substances, 

 only of five. If at death the body can be resolved 

 into dust, there must be certain conditions under 

 which it can come into existence from dust. Thirdly, 

 we maintain that there are transitions between 

 organic and inorganic matter. There are substances 

 which display properties otherwise possessed only 

 by living beings. Thus crystals can grow and 

 reproduce themselves. We even know of liquid 

 crystals which move, subdivide, consume one 

 another and unite with one another, just as living 

 beings do. These are ascertained facts about which 

 there can be no dispute, and they serve as a basis for 

 our hypothesis that living beings have at some time 

 proceeded from inorganic matter. Father Wasmann 

 only propounds problems on this subject when he 

 asserts that these things were created. Creation is 

 to be a comfortable solution which ought to satisfy 

 us as scientists, but we regard the origin of life as a 

 zoological problem, in exactly the same way as we 

 regard the origin of the Alps as a geological problem, 

 and we refuse to be deprived of this problem. 



In answer to these remarks on the origin of 

 life I will only say shortly : 



