74 "Scientific Levity? 



to form for himself an idea of how the first 

 organic being could have come into exis- 

 tence, of itself, nothing further is left than to 

 go back to spontaneous generation. . . . 

 But of this we do not possess any actual 

 proof. No one has ever seen a gemratio 

 tzquivoca really effected ; and whoever supposes 

 that it has occurred is contradicted by the 

 naturalist, and not merely by the theologian. 

 . . . If it were capable of proof, it would 

 indeed be beautiful ! But whoever 



recalls to mind the lamentable failure of all 

 the attempts made very recently to discover 

 a decided support for the generatio (zquivoca in 

 the lower forms of transition from the inor- 

 ganic to the organic world, will feel it doubly 

 serious to demand that this theory, so utterly 

 discredited, should be in any way accepted as 

 the basis of all our views of life." * 



An " astounding hypothesis," " not supported 

 by any evidence," 2 " absolutely inconceivable," 8 

 and " utterly discredited. " * Such is the 

 " scientific levity " of Spontaneous Generation. 



1 "The Freedom of Science in the Modern State," 



P-39- 



* Dr. Carpenter, ut sup. 



* Mr. Darwin. 



* Dr. Virchow. 



