Life 195 



planet generated its atmosphere ? That is 

 the so-called materialistic view, but to the 

 writer it seems an erroneous one, and it is 

 certainly one that is not proven. It is not 

 even certain that every planet generated all 

 the gases of its own atmosphere : some of 

 them it may have swept up in its excursion 

 through space. What is certain is that it 

 possesses the power of retaining an atmo- 

 sphere ; it is by no means so certain how all 

 the constituents of that atmosphere arrived. 



Questions concerning the Origin and Nature 

 of Life. 



All that we have actually experienced and 

 verified is that a complex molecular aggre- 

 gate is capable of being the vehicle or material 

 basis of life ; but to the question what life is 

 we have as yet no answer. Many have been 

 the attempts to generate life de novo, by 

 packing together suitable materials and 

 keeping them pleasantly warm for a long 

 time ; but, if all germs of pre-existing life 



