9 2 GERMINAL MATTER 



included under the head of protoplasm, the active moving 

 matter forming the sarcode of the Rhizopods as well as the 

 substance circulating in the cells of vallisneria, the hairs of 

 the nettle, and other vegetable cells j and now it is generally 

 admitted that the active, moving matter constituting the 

 white blood-corpuscle, the mucus and pus corpuscle, and 

 other contractile bodies widely distributed, is essentially of 

 the same nature. The movements characteristic of this 

 matter have been attributed to an inherent property of con- 

 tractility ; and this property has been held by some to be 

 characteristic of, and peculiar to, protoplasm. 



Kiihne,* however, with some other observers, considers 

 all contractile material to be protoplasm, and includes the 

 different forms of muscular tissue in the same category as 

 the matter of the amoeba, white blood-corpuscle, &c. But 

 if we apply the term protoplasm to the contracting muscular 

 tissue which exhibits structure, as well as to the living 

 moving matter of the amoeba, &c., in which no structure at 

 all can be discerned, it is obvious that these must be 

 regarded as essentially different kinds of protoplasm, because 

 they differ from one another in characters which are essential 

 and of the first importance. 



The " Germinal Matter" or Bioplasm Living Matter of 

 the Author. But some years before the memoir by Max 

 Schultze (1863), or that of Kiihne (1864) appeared, I had 

 drawn attention to the great distinction between the 

 " living " and " formed matter " of the elementary part or 

 cell, and of all living organisms ; and had shown that the 

 " living matter " of the cell corresponded to the material 



* " Untersuchungen liber das Protoplasma und die Contractilitat." 

 Leipzig, 1864. 



