234 CONCL USIONS. 



Conclusions. The general conclusion which, as it seems 

 to me, has been established by the observations I have made 

 is, that in every living being it is possible to distinguish 

 broadly the matter which lives from the matter which does 

 not live ; and the inference is justified that the difference 

 between living matter and non-living matter is absolute. 

 In those instances in which the living matter seems to 

 shade gradually into the non-living matter, it has been 

 shown that the appearance is deceitful, and that it is really 

 due to the variation in the proportion of living to the non- 

 living matter. Each living particle is in contact with non- 

 living matter, but the thickness of the layer of the latter 

 which intervenes between the several particles of living 

 matter varies greatly. There is no instance of matter in a 

 condition, so to say, intermediate between the living state 

 and the non-living state. The change is abrupt and sudden. 

 If a thing "lives rapidly? living matter makes its way 

 amongst the pabulum, and grows and multiplies. Tn this 

 case an enormous surface of living matter comes into con- 

 tact with the non-living. In the opposite case only a small 

 surface is presented to the pabulum, and very little non-living 

 matter is converted into the living state, and " growth is 

 slow." But in both cases I believe the actual change from 

 the state of pabulum to the living state is equally sudden, 

 abrupt, and absolute. 



Every one who really studies the elementary parts of 

 tissues and investigates the changes which occur as the 

 bioplasm passes through various stages of change until the 

 fully developed structure results, will be careful not to 

 accept without due consideration the vague generalisations 

 of those who persist in authoritatively declaring that the 



