56 VITALISM AND SCHOLASTICISM 



physiologist, tells us that living proteid or 

 "Molecule" protoplasm is a huge molecule, undergoing 



of proto- constant, never-ending formation and decom- 

 plasm 



position, and gives us an illuminating view of 



its characters when he says that it probably 

 behaves towards the usual chemical molecules 

 as the sun behaves to small meteors. The 

 fashion of speaking of protoplasm as possessing 

 a molecule takes its origin from the extreme 

 chemico-physical method of viewing life and 

 living matter. It is of course possible to set 

 down the chemical composition of protoplasm 

 and construct a formula for it, but to talk of 

 protoplasm as having a molecule in the same 

 sense that say methane has, always seemed 

 to be philosophically absurd, and now that 

 biological science proclaims that " many of 

 the properties of the cell may be carried out by 

 isolated parts of the cell," * it is shown, I think, 

 to be perfectly untenable. That protoplasm is 

 a vastly complex substance everyone must 

 freely admit. 



Much attention has been devoted to the 

 solution of the question of the structure of 

 protoplasm, but so far, it must be admitted, 

 without any definite results. 



The cell is generally included by a wall, and 



* Moore, Origin and Nature of Life, Home University 

 Library, p. 80. 



