LIVING AND FORMED MATTER. 35 



As investigation proceeded, I became more and more 

 convinced of the importance of the distinction I had drawn, 

 and it was proved that the matter coloured, which had been 

 considered by many authors to be of little importance, was 

 really in the living, active, growing state. It was shown 

 that upon it all growth, multiplication, conversion, formation, 

 and, in short, life depends. And in many instances when 

 death occurred, the matter in the first state alone changed, 

 while the last remained unaltered. The first was alone 

 capable of dying, for, in fact, this only had been alive. On 

 the other hand, the matter in the second condition, although 

 it may possess very remarkable properties, and have a highly 

 complex chemical composition never grows or multiplies. It 

 never converts or forms. New matter may be added to it, but 

 it cannot convert matter of itself. In short, it does not live. 



Lastly, facts and arguments were advanced which showed 

 that all matter in the last or formed state was once in the 

 first or living state, so that the properties it acquired and 

 the characters it possessed as formed matter were to be 

 attributed to the changes which had been brought about 

 while the matter existed in the antecedent or living state. 



There is reason to think that not even the smallest 

 living particle seen under the i -501)1 of an inch objective 

 consists of matter in the same state in every part, for it 

 consists of i, living matter; 2, matter formed from this; 

 and 3, pabulum, which i takes up. 



The matter in the first state is alone concerned in develop- 

 ment, and the production of those materials which ultimately 

 take the form of tissue, secretion, deposit, as the case may be. 

 It alone possesses the power of growth and of producing 



D 2 



