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basis of life. The matter of a living tiring which is alive at 

 the time is also a " physical bas-is." That which is alive is a 

 physical basis of life, and that which is dead is equally a 

 physical basis of life. Such is the reply made to the question, 

 What is the difference between living matter and the same 

 matter which has ceased to live? Such is the method by 

 which it is shown that the difference between the living and 

 the non-living is not a difference in kind, but in degree only. 

 Such is the method by which people have been misled and 

 confused. It is, of course, mere idle trifling of the most 

 transparent character. But few persons have taken the 

 trouble to carefully examine the statements with the object of 

 discovering exactly what was the meaning the author intended 

 to convey. Many, perhaps the majority of readers, are 

 content to catch the words, without troubling themselves to 

 ascertain what meaning ought properly to be attached to 

 them. Perhaps they feel much confused, and not liking even 

 to think disrespectfully of the writer, they persuade them- 

 selves that the full consideration of the question is beyond 

 the province as well as the capacity of busy people engaged 

 in the ordinary work of life, and that, therefore, they must 

 accept without inquiry the assertions, as the authoritative 

 utterances of gifted spirits. 



Such views would have little chance of being received, 

 or even tolerated, had they not been advanced at a time 

 which was remarkable for the decline of thought, and for 

 the dislike or fear of examining and analysing authoritative 

 statements. 



The phrase " undifferentiated protoplasm," as contrasted 

 with " differentiated protoplasm/' is now often used. Children 

 are asked questions about it in elementary examinations, and 

 yet no exact meaning has been given by any one to the terms, 

 and the sense in which the words are often used is incorrect. 

 The " differentiation " of protoplasm is one of the cant 

 terms of the time, and is supposed to explain a great deal, 

 while it only deceives and contuses ; for instead of differentia- 

 tion being an explanation of change, or the cause of change, 

 as is implied, it is really only a way of stating a fact. If it 

 is correct to call the undifferentiated matter protoplasm, it 

 cannot be correct to call the differentiated matter by the same 

 name, because the first exhibits phenomena absolutely distinct 

 from any manifested by the last. 



-Let us endeavour to keep clearly before our minds the para- 

 mount importance of the answer given by the science of our 

 time to the question, " What is the difference between living 

 matter and the same matter in the dead state ? " If it can 



