THE PSYCHICAL ELEMENT. 1Q9 



Whole, that the perpetual self-reproduction 

 or self-regeneration of the individual is trans- 

 mitted from the ever-creating activity of the 

 Universe itself. Germinal continuity has be- 

 come the leading concept of today's biology, 

 chiefly through the work of Weissmann; that 

 indeed unconsciously calls for, even it does 

 not yet glimpse, the universal origin, the pri- 

 mordial source of this germinal continuity 

 which courses as yet only through the genetic 

 cells of individuals. The universally creative 

 reservoir in fact, just the Universe is wait- 

 ing to be tapped at its fountain-head by sci- 

 ence, which for the most part cries out that 

 the thing can never be done, in that famous 

 shout of Du Bois Reymond: ignoramus et ig- 

 norabimus. 



Coming back to our cell-process again, we 

 may now give to it a name which designates 

 not only its formal order, but its origin as 

 well as its genetic character. It is a Psyclio- 

 sis, a psychical process as well as a physical. 

 The first is more the formative principle, the 

 second more the material ; each inheres in the 

 other inseparably throughout cell-life and the 

 entire Biocosmos. The psychical side is the 

 mysterious supersensible one to the biologist, 

 which he cannot reach with his microscope or 

 other detectives, chemical and mechanical; 

 still it is present and working, yea, in control. 



