Origin of Life. 49 



matter. But there was a time when life was not 

 here. This will be acknowledged by every geolo- 

 gist. Now, life is only manifested in connection with 

 organization. Did the vital principle seize upon 

 matter, and organize it ? This would imply that it 

 resides somewhere free from nmtter. Is vitality a 

 force accidental in its manifestation, correlated to 

 some other ton - ;>ed by the relationship of 



different kinds of matter; or was matter first organ- 

 ized by a creator, and then life joined to it? There 

 ate those who accept the second supposition and 

 believe in spontane- .us generati< >n, the production of 

 life from matter and physical forces, and the evolu- 

 tion of higher types by development from lower. 

 We pass fbf Ac present the geologic argument, 

 which we believe to be conclusive against this the- 

 ory, and ask its supporters how it comes to pass 

 that the physical forces tend to originate an organ- 

 ism, when the moment it is produced they tend to 

 destroy it. And it is a remarkable fact, that some 

 authors who have expressed their belief in the pro- 

 duction of life through chemical forces, have also 

 expressed their belief in the antagonism of life and 

 those forces. We leave to them the task of harmo- 

 nizing their own views. The organic being strug- 

 gles for existence and lives only because the vital 

 principle holds in abeyance the physical forces and 

 makes them its servants. In a certain sense it is 

 true that the physical forces build up all organic 

 structures. But the moment vitality is gone, they i 

 tear down the structure which they have unwillingly 



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