8o ERRORS OF PHYSICISTS. 



Strangely at variance with the speculations now most 

 popular, and very generally taught, and quite opposed to 

 their tendencies, are the conclusions which are arrived at from 

 an actual investigation of the phenomena as they occur in 

 living things. If we study these we learn, as will be shown 

 in detail further on, that the inanimate nutrient pabulum, or 

 certain of its elements, invariably passes through a certain 

 transitional stage, in which very peculiar actions take place. 

 The subsequent phenomena could never have occurred unless 

 the matter had passed through this prior stage, and they may 

 be considered a consequence of the state of things which 

 existed during that period. See Part II. The physicist has 

 done nothing towards the elucidation of the phenomena 

 occurring in that remarkable condition in which matter 

 exists between its state as pabulum on the one hand, and 

 its state as formed tissue or secretion on the other. Not 

 only has the physicist taught nothing concerning it, but 

 he has ignored this most important condition of matter as if 

 it did not exist. To him there can be no phenomena occur- 

 ring in living beings which are not of a nature identical with 

 those occurring in the non-living world ; so he abstains from 

 investigating thoroughly any one phenomenon which has 

 been shown to be peculiar to living organisms, and insists 

 upon studying exclusively those changes which take place 

 in the matter of living beings which, as can be proved, has 

 really ceased to live. Regardless of all that has been made 

 out concerning living matter he reiterates the oft-repeated 

 statement, that " since many phenomena which have been 

 shown to be purely physical were until recently considered 

 as purely vital, therefore, all other phenomena occurring 

 in living things must be physical." Nor does he even 



