8 Preface 



The declaration that life originated from a single cell caused a 

 very close study of phenomena attending the growth of the most 

 infinitesimal cell, Bacteria. 



Microscopical investigation evidenced the presence of external 

 forces because of the orientation and placement of the different 

 kinds of bacteria cells in definite configurations. 



During February, 1906, the writer published " The Spherical 

 Bacteria Cell, the Constructor of the Earth and her Life Through 

 the Radio-active Construction of Electro-Magnetic Particles." 



Of necessity the work was much abbreviated. 



A more complete elucidation of the relationship evidenced as 

 existing between electric energy and cell-multiplication was promised 

 as soon as the material gathered together could be arranged and 

 classified according to the ascension of life on the earth. 



Recognizing the weakness of the position of " The Unknown," 

 the work was published with much fear and trembling, but the 

 consideration and appreciation with which it was received by many 

 scientific workers encouraged a deeper interest and a greater en- 

 deavour in following up the clue to the Origin of Material Form. 



A still greater encouragement was derived through reading 

 " Electrons, the Nature and Properties of Negative Electricity," by 

 Sir Oliver Lodge. On page 151 he says, speaking of an hypothesis 

 based on the electric view of matter : 



" Were it less hypothetical a further account would be given 

 here, but an extremely recent paper by the same great Physicist 

 (J. J. Thomson) has tended to reduce the whole subject to a state 

 of exaggerated uncertainty, since he gives reasons, which appear to 

 be sound ones, in the Physiological Magazine for June, 1906, for 

 assuming that only one active electron is contained in a hydrogen 

 atom, and that all other elements contain a number of electrons 

 comparable to their atomic weight, reckoned on the basis that 

 hydrogen equals one. This is an extraordinary and unexpected 

 result, and at first sight appears very unlikely, since the ordinary 

 chemical assumption of a unit atomic weight for hydrogen has 

 always been known to be a pure convention, made for convenience 

 alone, and not likely to correspond with anything in nature. I do 

 not suppose that anyone imagined that it would even provisionally 

 be found to have a physical and rational basis." 



In the superficial work already referred to were given many 

 examples in which the hydrogen atom, as a unit weight or number, 

 appeared to build up atoms of the various elements after the same 

 number in grouping of figures, that were found to characterize the 

 divisions and subdivisions of various forms of living things. 



It was also shown that bacteria cells group together and multiply 

 after the same manner as this unit weight of the hydrogen atom 

 grouped in numbers that made up the formulae of many chemical 

 substances. 



When Professor Thomson confirmed the unit weight of the atom 

 of hydrogen as reported by Sir Oliver Lodge, a still greater encour- 

 agement vvas felt by the writer to take up the work of a "New 

 Evolution," in the hope that greater concentration of investigation 



