ON THE CELL 309 



Neuro-genesis, and cell prolification, may, therefore, be 

 regarded as equal, in their rate of evolutionary progress, 

 and textural limits, and as representing but two aspects of 

 the same organic process ; in other words, neuro- 

 genesis, and cell prolification, are necessarily identical in 

 their incidence, as vital phenomena, in the evolution of 

 life forms generally, from inorganic matter, and in their 

 genetic, and developmental, operations, in the evolution 

 of individual organisms, vegetable, and animal. 



The cell, as a living unit, possesses within itself its own 

 nervine, or vital, apparatus, or quasi-nervous system, 

 differentiated, and separate, from its environment ; the 

 cell group, or segmented cell, on the contrary, and in 

 addition, while possessed of such a system in each of its 

 divisions, maintains a, more or less, permanent nervine 

 connection, between its several cells, by virtue of a, more or 

 less, intimate structural connection, between parent, and 

 derived, cells, whereby is made possible the operations of 

 vital, and formative, energy, in the processes of organisa- 

 tion, growth, and the differentiation of living forms 

 therefore, the cell lives, by virtue of its containing a 

 quasi-nervous system, this being inseparable from, and 

 mutually essential for its life, and vital activity, and the 

 cell group, in like manner, lives in virtue of the same 

 individual cell conditions, plus the existence of an inter- 

 cellular nervine connective system, secured by the survival 

 of structural segmented continuity, or contiguity, and 

 finally, by the elaboration of what is equivalent to, a 

 sympathetic nervous system. It is, thus, apparent, that 

 the parent cell, and the descended cell, cannot, and do 

 not, exist, or live, apart from a nervous system, we are, 

 consequently, compelled to recognise the operation of a 

 great /aw, which combines the working of all vital pro- 

 cesses, by the nervinely inspired, and possessed, organic 

 cell. The cell, individual and communal, and the nervous 

 system, are " one and the same " thing, i.e. they con- 

 stitute the material, and dynamic, aspects, of the one 

 great problem, viz. life. 



We must, therefore, be prepared to acknowledge 

 further, if these views be true, that all cells, by whatever 

 name known, are in reality also, one, and the same, in 



