4 The Science of Life. 



The morphologist asks the question, " What is this?" 

 and analyses, anatomizes, the dead; the physiologist 

 asks the question, "How is this?" and analyses the 

 living. The parallelism of these two inquiries, from 

 Buffon to Darwin, has been luminously expounded by 

 Prof. Patrick Geddes, and we follow his exposition. 



A. MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS. 



(1) THE ORGANISM. The morphologist naturally begins by 

 describing the external characters of the intact creature its 

 symmetry, shape, architectural plan, and the like ; and with the 

 beginning of this we must associate the work of Ray and Linnaeus. 

 The work is still in progress, for " each new species described 

 means a leaf added to the Sy sterna Natures". 



(2) THE ORGANS. The description of superficial characters 

 is, however, only the beginning of morphology ; an analysis of 

 organs is the next step. This may be especially associated with 

 the name of Cuvier as zoologist, and Jussieu as botanist. This 

 task is also an unending one, " to which every new descriptive 

 anatomical research belongs as clearly as if it were published as 

 an appendix to the Rtgne Animal itself". 



(3) THE TISSUES. The next logical step was taken in 1801 

 by Bichat, who in his Anatomic Gtntrale analysed the body into 

 its component tissues. This was the beginning of histology, 

 which has now so many devotees. 



(4) THE CELLS. Minute analysis could not remain long at 

 the level of tissues; these were soon analysed into their com- 

 ponent or originative cells, the nucleated corpuscles of living 

 matter which form the basis of all organic structure. This step 

 must be particularly associated with Schwann and Schleiden, 

 who formulated the " Cell Theory" in 1838-39. With the study 

 of cells hundreds of modern workers are more or less exclusively 

 occupied. 



(5) PROTOPLASM. The fifth and last step in morphological 

 analysis, within the limits of biology, is that which passes from 

 the cell as such to a study of the living matter and other 

 substances which compose it. With this, though it is difficult 

 to select names, the work of Dujardin, Von Mohl, and Max 

 Schultze may be associated. 



B. PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS. 



(i) HABITS OF THE ORGANISM. The early physiology was 

 largely concerned with the ways and habits of the intact creature, 

 sometimes rising to invaluable studies in "Natural History" or 



