1 1 2 PROTOPLASM IN THE CL UDS. 



germs which have been said to prevail in the most exalted 

 atmospheric regions, which have been hitherto submitted to 

 investigation. It will be admitted upon all hands that, 

 although the acceptance of this doctrine is scarcely war- 

 ranted by facts yet at our command, it is nevertheless quite 

 justifiable to put it forward as an hypothesis calculated to 

 illumine the path of the physicist as he gradually tends 

 towards the demonstration of physical unity. Since it is 

 well known that the infinitely minute particles of cosmic 

 dust, of which by mere aggregation worlds are formed, 

 are everywhere diffused through space, what is there un- 

 reasonable in supposing that between these, perhaps sup- 

 porting them as well as separating them, exists a highly 

 subtle animated vapour ? Heat, as is well known, causes a 

 re-arrangement of material particles, which may be scattered 

 or condensed according as cosmic forces may operate upon 

 them. This scattering or condensation would occur at a 

 different temperature in the case of different particles, 

 according, of course, to the original properties of the mole- 

 cules. Certain particles of the cosmic vital steam, would, 

 at a given temperature, gyrate upwards and distribute them- 

 selves, while others might approach one another and con- 

 stitute a vital crystal. The latter, growing by aggregation, 

 would form the germ of a spontaneous ovum, the offspring of 

 evolution and formifaction, containing potentially not only 

 a fully developed organism, but whole generations of dif- 

 ferentiating forms, the specific characters of every one of 

 which might be accurately defined at this very time if only 

 an intelligence sufficient to perform the task could be 

 found ! 



