A GGREGA T10N NOT GROWTH. ! 73 



sediment is "growth" Celestial bodies have passed into 

 their "concrete shapes through processes of growth" 

 Mr. Herbert Spencer says, there is "an essential com- 

 munity of nature between organic growth and inorganic 

 growth" and that "both result in the same way." This 

 assertion proves that Mr. H. Spencer has not studied the 

 phenomena of " growth " in any living form in nature, and 

 his assertion must be met by a direct and positive denial. 

 Non-living things and living things certainly do not grow 

 " in the same way" as Mr. Herbert Spencer affirms is the 

 case. The phenomena are not at all alike, nor is there any 

 " community of nature between organic and inorganic 

 growth" as Mr. Herbert Spencer affirms. The accumula- 

 tion of sediment is not growth. Nor do celestial bodies 

 result from any process that can properly be termed growth. 

 Mr. Herbert Spencer sees little difference in essential nature 

 between the fungus-like accumulation (growth) of carbon on 

 the wick of the candle and the increase (growth) of the real 

 living mushroom, that takes into itself matter around it, and 

 gradually assumes a special form as it acquires peculiar 

 properties, and develops a peculiar structure, as well as 

 generates particles from which funguses of the same special 

 kind only may grow. 



Every living thing known every particle of living matter 

 that can be discerned manifests certain phenomena com- 

 mon to life of every kind, by which it can be easily distin- 

 guished and absolutely marked off from every form of 

 non-living matter of which we have as yet any knowledge. 

 It has been said that " the chasm between the organic and 

 inorganic is being filled up," but I doubt if the existence 

 of any chasm at all between the living and the non-living 



