ORIGIN OF LIVING PAR TICLES. 1 9 1 



the fluid, precipitated z& some would say, or formified(f) 

 have increased vastly in number. Many of them have 

 become altered, or in their stead we discover little bodies, 

 some having a circular and others an elongated oval form; all 

 are perfectly transparent. If, again, another interval of time 

 be permitted to elapse, and the slide B is again examined, 

 it will be found that further change has taken place. The 

 little bodies have become larger ; in fact they have grown. 

 They have moreover increased considerably in number. 

 The growth has not resulted from the deposition or aggre- 

 gation, and fusion of several particles, as some have sur- 

 mised, but individual particles have increased in size without 

 absorbing or coalescing with their neighbours. Careful 

 study will now convince the observer that in the case of the 

 largest particles, the matter within differs from the external 

 covering. Each particle is, in fact, composed of at least 

 two kinds of matter, or matter in two different states. The 

 changes described are characteristic of living particles. 



Repeated experiments have proved that the conditions 

 under which slide B was placed would be favourable to the 

 development of certain simple living organisms. At one 

 time many of the granules on the two slides were not to be 

 distinguished by microscopical examination. While, how- 

 ever, those on slide A remained unaltered retained the 

 same granular form in which they were deposited the par- 

 ticles on slide B have not been stationary for a moment. 

 They have grown into definite though apparently simple 

 living forms, which still continue to manifest active changes. 

 Life is, in all cases, associated with never-ceasing change. 



Now, the question arises, whence have the living or- 

 ganisms which have grown been derived ? The water which 



