54 DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 



should prevail, is, of course, easy to un- 

 derstand. Very little was known about 

 the propagation of the lower animals 

 and plants. Especially the very pecu- 

 liar and complicated development of 

 the parasites and their passive migra- 

 tions were practically unknown. 



It seemed impossible to understand 

 whence these beings had come, so the 

 nearest explanation was resorted to, 

 that is to say, that wherever they were 

 found, thev had come into existence "of 

 themselves." Neither was it so clearly 

 understood then as now that eggs and 

 seeds are living beings as well as the 

 fully developed animals and plants. It 

 was thought that grain must decay in 

 the earth, yea, that this was the neces- 

 sary condition for the growth of the 

 plant. 



Thus people had daily before their 

 eyes cases where living beings were 

 generated by substances that seemed 

 inert and dead. 



But with a better and more complete 

 knowledge of organisms and especially 



