viii Preface 



2. The idea that the specific guiding 

 power which we call " life " is one 

 of the forms of material energy, 

 so that directly it relinquishes its 

 connection with matter other 

 equivalent forms of energy must 

 arise to replace it. 



The book is specially intended to act as an 

 antidote to the speculative and destructive 

 portions of Professor Haeckers interesting 

 and widely-read work, but in other respects 

 it may be regarded less as a hostile attack 

 than as a supplement an extension of the 

 more scientific portions of that work into 

 higher and more fruitful regions of inquiry. 



OLIVER LODGE. 



University of Birmingham, 

 October 1905. 



