THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



CHAPTER XII. 



EXPLANATION OF APPARENT DISCREPANCIES AND DIFFICULTIES. 



Important considerations. Dead Bacteria in Air not sufficient. They 

 are unable to resist Desiccation. Living Bacteria not abundant in 

 Air. Experiments with bent-neck Flasks. Refutations of Pasteur's 

 Theory. Value of Comparative Experiments: Rival. Theories of 

 Fermentation. Pasteur's results explicable by either of them. Two 

 Degrees of Fermentability. Distribution of Atmospheric Particles. 

 Their Subsidence. Pasteur's ' ensemencements.' Explanation. Ex- 

 periments with airless-flasks. Conclusions concerning Fermentation 

 and Archebiosis. 



Formation of Specks of Living Matter. Transition from colloidal mole- 

 cules to ' physiological units.' Mr. Herbert Spencer's Argument. 

 Chemical Affinities producing complex Compounds. Universal play 

 of ' natural affinities.' Growth of Plants. Easy Transition from 

 not-living to ' living.' Growth and Reproduction in Saline Solutions. 

 Influence of pre-existing Protoplasm. Last remnants of ' Vitalism.' 

 Changes in impure Saline Solutions. Influence of Organic Impurities. 

 Origination and Growth compared. Pure Crystalloids. Easy transi- 

 tions from crystalloid to colloid Mode of Combination. Colloids as 

 Dynamic Aggregates. 



IN order to ensure the more general acceptance of 

 the conclusions concerning the nature and origin 

 of Living Matter to which the experimental evidence 



VOL. II. B 



