104 THE BIOCOSMOS PRELIMINARY. 



hypothetical, but just for that reason, the 

 grand object of scientific research. 



In a general way we may, therefore, affirm 

 that the present trend of biology, dealing, as 

 it does, so exclusively with the cell, is micro- 

 organic, while previously it had been largely 

 macro-organic, since it concerned itself about 

 the larger forms and organs of plants and 

 animals, which, however, are composites of 

 minuter units. These vital composites have 

 accordingly, been dissolved, somewhat like 

 chemical compounds, into their original inde- 

 composable elements, wherein lies an analogy 

 of the cell to the atom, though the latter is 

 still beyond the microscope. But the hitherto 

 irreducible atom is just now being reduced to 

 its new constituents, in the opinion of scien- 

 tists; it is passing through a process of disin- 

 tegration, and the cell will doubtless move in 

 the same direction, in accord with the ten- 

 dency of the present scientific mind. Indeed, 

 certain biologists have already struck such a 

 note. 



So a certain analogy can be traced between 

 the atom as the ultimate unit of chemism (if 

 it be ultimate), and the cell as the ultimate 

 unit of vitalism (if it be ultimate). More- 

 over their destiny seems to have a similar out- 

 look in the scientific trend of the time both 

 apparently marching toward some form of 



