Scientific Sophisms. 73 



And they "do not doubt" it now. But still 

 they do not " realize " it. They have not " the 

 least evidence " in support of their belief : they 

 have still less of " satisfactory experimental 

 proof." 



But who is this "they"? It is not the 

 chemist : it is the " philosopher." The chemist 

 knows better. He knows that notwithstanding 

 an altered classification of " organic " and " in- 

 organic," yet between his compounds on the 

 one hand, and the construction of organizable 

 matter on the other, there still stands the 

 impassable barrier which demonstrates that 

 the affinities of life and living matter belong 

 to a chemistry of which we know nothing, and 

 which, to strive to imitate is but to strive in 

 vain. 



The name of Dr. Rudolf Virchow has been 

 familiar to scientific Europe for nearly forty 

 years, as one honoured amongst the most 

 honourable. It was he who, at the Conference 

 of the Association of German Naturalists and 

 Physicians at Munich, in the autumn of 1877, 

 led the reaction in the high places of learning 

 against the dogmatism of science. And this 

 is what he says on the " scientific levity " of 

 " spontaneous generation " : 



" I grant that if any one is determined 



