SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY 117 



" 2. Such forms of organic elements, cells, tubes, etc., may 

 be produced cither in an organic liquid or a semi-organic 

 liquid such as sucrate of lime, or in an absolutely inorganic 

 liquid such as silicate of soda. Thus there can no longer be 

 any question of distinctive forms as characterizing organic 

 bodies in contradistinction to inorganic bodies. 



"3. The figured elements of these pseudo-organic forms 

 depend on the nature, the viscosity, and the concentration of 

 the liquids in which they are produced. Certain viscous 

 liquids such as solutions of gum arabic or chloride of zinc do 

 not produce these forms. 



" 4. The form of these artificial pseudo-organic products is 

 constant, as constant as that of the crystalline forms of 

 mineral salts. This form is so characteristic that it may 

 often serve for the recognition of a minimal proportion of a 

 substance in a mixture. The observation of these forms is 

 a means of analysis as sensitive as that of the spectrum. 

 We may, for example, differentiate in this way the alkaline 

 bicarbonates from the sesqui-carbonates or the carbonates. 



"5. The form of these artificial pseudo-organic elements 

 depends principally on the nature of the acid radical of the 

 solid salt. Thus the sulphates and the phosphates generally 

 produce tubes, while the carbonates form cells. 



"6. As a rule these pseudo-organic forms are engendered 

 only by substances which are found in the living organism. 

 Thus sucrate of calcium will engender organic forms, whereas 

 sucrate of strontium or barium does not do so. There are, 

 however, some exceptions to this rule, such as the sulphates 

 of copper, cadmium, zinc, and nickel. 



"7. These artificial pseudo-organic elements are surrounded 

 by veritable membranes, dializing membranes which allow 

 only liquids to pass through them. These artificial cells have 

 heterogeneous cell-contents, and produce in their interior 

 granulations which are disposed in a regular order. Thus 

 they are both in constitution and in form absolutely similar 

 to the cellular elements which constitute living organisms. 



"8. It is probable that the inorganic elements which are 

 present in the natural protoplasm may play an important part 



