THE PHENOMENA OF LIFE 153 



the intervention of any living organism. Ordinary physical 

 forces are quite sufficient to produce forms like those of living 

 beings, closed cavities containing liquids separated by osmotic 

 membranes, with tissues similar to those of the vital organs in 

 form, colour, evolution, and function. 



It is only necessary to glance at the photographs of these 

 osmotic growths to appreciate the wonderful variety of form. 

 The variety of function is not less evident, and in many 

 instances, especially with manganese salts, the difference of 

 function of various regions is marked by differences of 

 colour. When a large osmotic cell projects beyond the mother 

 liquor anil grows up into the air, it is evident that the function 

 of liquid absorption must be localized in the submerged part. 

 In other cases we have a local evolution of gas, which may 

 be demonstrated by glowing a fragment of calcium chloride in a 

 mother liquor composed of the following saturated solutions : — 



1'otassium carbonate . . 7(i parts. 



Potassium sulphate . . l(j ,, 



Tribasic potassium phosphate . 46 „ 



During the whole period of growth there is an abundant 

 liberation of bubbles of gas, which is acurately limited to a 

 belt around the base of the growth, and sometimes also to a 

 cap at the summit. 



Since morphological differentiations of different parts is 

 but the result of differences of evolution, i.e. of functional 

 differences of the various parts, we may consider that osmotic 

 growths possess the faculty of organization I ; ke living beings. 



An osmotic growth may be wounded, and a wound delays 

 its growth and development like a disease or an accident in 

 a living being. A wound in an osmotic production may also 

 become cicatrized and covered with a membrane, when the 

 growth will recommence exactly as in a living being. 



An osmotic growth is a transformer of energy. It 

 increases in bulk, pushing aside the mother liquor, and thus 

 doing external work. An osmotic growth has a temperature 

 above its medium, since the chemical reaction of which it is 

 the seat is accompanied by the production of heat. We know 



