54 VITALISM AND SCHOLASTICISM 



general terms, is a small spherical mass of 

 protoplasm containing a nucleus or specialised 

 central portion. 



Protoplasm Protoplasm, a term first used by Purkinje 

 in 1840 is a viscid albuminoid substance like 

 the unboiled white of an egg. It was well 

 described by Huxley as " the physical basis 

 of life," and there can be no doubt that it is 

 " the immediate substratum of all vital acti- 

 vrty." To attempt to enter into any complete 

 description of this most important substance 

 would be impossible, even if it were advisable 

 in a work of this character, but the following 

 points, at least, must be made clear. In the 

 first place whilst we can watch the movements 

 of and in living protoplasm under the micro- 

 scope, we cannot stain that protoplasm or still 

 more examine it chemically without killing it 

 and thus, it is highly probable, fundamentally 

 altering its characters. So that when one 

 reads about the chemistry of protoplasm, or 

 about certain things in the cell which are 

 studied by the aid of chemical re-agents, it is 

 always important to remember that it is dead 

 protoplasm and a dead cell which we are read- 

 ing about, and that in that fact lies the possi- 

 bility of a fundamental fallacy. With this 

 reservation then we may say that protoplasm 

 is composed of relatively few chemical elements. 



