VIII BIOGENESIS AND ABIOGENESIS 243 



to which, life is the indefeasible property of certain 

 indestructible molecules of matter, which exist in 

 all living things, and have inherent activities 

 by which they are distinguished from not living 

 matter. Each individual living organism is 

 formed by their temporary combination. They 

 stand to it in the relation of the particles of 

 water to a cascade, or a whirlpool ; or to a mould, 

 into which the water is poured. The form of the 

 organism is thus determined by the reaction 

 between external conditions and the inherent 

 activities of the organic molecules of which it is 

 composed ; and, as the stoppage of a whirlpool 

 destroys nothing but a form, and leaves the 

 molecules of the water, with all their inherent 

 activities intact, so what we call the death and 

 putrefaction of an animal, or of a plant, is merely 

 the breaking up of the form, or manner of asso- 

 ciation, of its constituent organic molecules, which 

 are then set free as infusorial animalcules. 



It will be perceived that this doctrine is by no 

 means identical with Abio genesis, with which it is 

 often confounded. On this hypothesis, a piece of 

 beef, or a handful of hay, is dead only in a limited 

 sense. The beef is dead ox, and the hay is dead 

 grass ; but the " organic molecules " of the beef or 

 the hay are not dead, but are ready to manifest 

 their vitality as soon as the bovine or herbaceous 

 shrouds in which they are imprisoned are rent by 

 the macerating action of water. The hypothesis 



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