DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 71 



decaying, there organic matter is again 

 turned into inorganic. 



The result obtained through such in- 

 vestigations already made, stood in di- 

 rect opposition to the immediate ob- 

 servations. Although Harvey's formula 

 finally was accepted, it was neverthe- 

 less taught that no specific life-force 

 exists. 



This contradiction was never fully 

 understood or emphasized during the 

 last century, and the reason was that 

 the materialistic tendency was so pre- 

 dominant that nobody noticed that the 

 question of life-force is the innermost 

 main point, around which not only gen- 

 eratio spontanea and omne rivum ex vivo, 

 but also their consequences, material- 

 ism and idealism, are centered. 



But in order to deny life-force as an 

 independent principle, some scientific 

 facts to build upon were necessary and 

 these were not lacking. 



Before we state these facts we will 

 in a few words describe the historical 

 situation. 



