84 DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 



will probably go much further in this 

 direction. But is this really something 

 to be wondered at, when all organic 

 substance is composed of inorganic ele- 

 ments which, wherever they exist, pos- 

 sess the same qualities? The question 

 is how this organic substance is formed. 

 Does it appear spontaneously in the 

 chemist's laboratory while he himself 

 stands idle, observing the phenomenon, 

 or must he interfere, guide and plan 

 the activity of the chemical forces in 

 order to obtain these artificial com- 

 pounds? Why should not something 

 similar take place in the laboratory of 

 inorganic nature? There is, as far as 

 our experience goes, no organic sub- 

 stance to be found due to the spontane- 

 ous action of known natural laws. 

 What is the reason of this? How is 

 organic matter formed in nature? And, 

 further, is there no difference between 

 the organic matter produced by the 

 chemists and that present in living na- 

 ture? And if this difference proves to 

 be that the former is not organized 



