1 50 Protoplasm. 



16. "It is significant that Huxley himself, 

 some sixteen years ago, drew a distinction be- 

 tween living and non-living matter, which he 

 now, without any explanation, utterly ignores. 

 He remarked that the stone, the gas, the crystal, 

 had an inertia, and tended to remain as they 

 were unless some external influence affected 

 them ; but that living things were characterised 

 by the very opposite tendencies. He referred 

 also to 'the faculty of pursuing their own 

 course ' and the 'inherent law of change in living 

 beings.' In 1853, the same authority actually 

 found fault with those who attempted to reduce 

 life to ' mere attractions and repulsions,' and 

 'considered physiology simply as a complex 

 branch of mere physics.' He also remarked 

 that 'vitality is a property inherent in certain 

 kinds of matter.' " * Now, however, as we have 

 seen, there is but one kind of matter, " variously 

 modified ; " and " vitality " has no better status 

 than " aquosity ! " 



17. Nor is it less "significant" to note Mr. 

 Huxley's various, though incidental admissions, 

 and to contrast them with the dogmatism of his 



nucleus in 1860." (Dr. John Drysdale : "Protoplasmic 

 Theory of Life." London, 1874.) 

 1 Dr. Beale : / sup., p. 101. 



