THE ORIGIN OF LIFE. 43 



other carbon compounds then existing were caused 

 to assume the composition of the new one, according 

 to the laws noticed in a previous section of this 

 chapter. Once this power is acquired the compound 

 possessing it would not disappear like the other 

 unstable compounds, but would remain permanent. 

 For this substance would assimilate food and grow, 

 and all the essential features of life can be deduced 

 from growth. This compound was of course proto- 

 'plasm in its simplest form. It was only one of a 

 large number of complex compounds, which made 

 their appearance under the peculiar chemical condi- 

 tions of early eras. Numerous others were doubt- 

 less formed, each possessing its own properties. But 

 only that compound which was capable of assimila- 

 tion could continue to exist in an active condition 

 during the subsequent ages. This substance event- 

 ually absorbed all other compounds in any way 

 similar to itself which may have arisen contempo- 

 raneously with or before it, and it remains, there- 

 fore, to-day the only living matter, the physical 

 basis of life. 



It will be seen that, according to this speculation, 

 the first form of living matter was by no means 

 similar to any organism of to-day. It was rather a 

 diffused mass of protoplasmic substance, with no 

 differentiation into cells or parts or individuals. It 

 will be further seen that it is not necessary to as- 

 sume that this first protoplasm possessed chlorophyll 

 as has been claimed, for, according to the hypothesis, 

 there were many other carbon compounds of high 

 complexity produced at the same time. These com- 



