MR. DARWIN'S VIEWS. 



279 



parts of the body as Mr. Darwin concludes (see his doctrine 

 of Pangenesis) ; for, if this were so, the living particles must 

 have traversed formed material, and must then have passed, 

 through or amongst living particles without mingling or being 

 incorporated with them, to the very centre of the bioplasm. 

 But we have ample evidence to prove that the movement of 

 living particles is invariably in one direction only, from and 

 not towards centres. The only matter passing towards 

 centres is dissolved non-living pabulum. If living particles 

 were suspended in this, they would under ordinary circum- 

 stances be filtered off by the formed material, and would 

 never reach the living matter. The arrangement is such as 

 to permit fluid only to go to the living matter, and the pas- 

 sage of all insoluble particles of whatever kind would be in- 

 tercepted. 



If, however, we admitted, with Mr. Darwin, that the 

 aggregation of millions of particles having different proper- 

 ties and powers was possible in an adult organism, we should 

 have to explain how it was that they did not interfere with 

 one another's interests ; why. for instance, the most vigorous 

 did not grow at the expense of their weaker brethren, starving 

 them by appropriating their pabulum, destroying them utterly, 

 and occupying the space which they had not the strength to 

 retain. 



New living matter is constantly being evolved in every 

 part of the body, as long as life lasts. If, however, the for- 

 mation of living matter in any part is interfered with, that 

 part dies, and is removed particle by particle by the agency 

 of the adjacent living matter, or the dead mass is cast away ; 

 for if it remained the death of the whole might result. 



The conversion of the non-living into the living is very 



