230 SYMBIOGENESIS 



most vital and most symbiogenetic food for the animal. And 

 thus with more orientation as regards the relative importance 

 of crystalloid and colloid elements, it will now be easier for 

 us to reconcile some further apparent contradiction concerning 

 the subject, viz., anent the qualities and behaviour of liquid 

 crystals. Their discoverer, Prof. 0. Lehmann, has observed a 

 striking analogy between the behaviour of liquid crystals and 

 the characteristics of living matter, so that the designation 

 " apparently living crystals" might in many cases be entirely 

 justified. " Among colloid substances no such analogies 

 exist." 



Once more ft thus appears that a colloidal solution owes 

 much of its peculiar vital efficiency and " livingness " to its 

 associated forms of crystallinity though in the liquid state ; 

 although it remains to be seen in each case to what an extent 

 this is true. The crystalloid phase seems to involve in pristine 

 purity life forces capable of yielding components which, with 

 adequate use and in due time and season play a regulative part 

 and generally assist, make for symbiogenetic evolution. What 

 is wanted is the gradual establishment of an adequate symbiotic 

 relation with an organic form of life, viz., with a plant cell 

 we know that different plants " require " different salts and a 

 progressive synthesis, raising the crystal to the stage of the 

 (symbiogenetic) colloid, can be achieved. Mr. Handy, in his 

 article on Bio-Chemistry, referred to above, puts it thus: 

 There comes a time when a portion of the mineral substance is 

 raised to certain ratios of correspondence with the vibratory action of 

 the next higher element of vitochemical life, which appears to lie 

 universally and co-extensively in time and space with the lower element 

 of electromagnetism. When the mineral atom has been thus raised it 

 becomes susceptible to the essence of co-ordination of the higher life 

 element. Impregnation occurs. The vitochemical life element is inducted 

 into mineral substance and the mineral atom becomes a vegetable particle 

 endowed with vitochemical or vegetable life. Is it not reasonable to 

 suppose that by this evolutionary process, guided by Nature's construc- 

 tive principle, all life is generated upon this planet? 



This is a good hint at the principle of symbiogenesis, 

 except that I would put "co-operation" instead of 



