THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



into that by which they are converted into living 

 protoplasm. Nay, more, seeing that the multiplication- 

 of living things takes place with so much more energy 

 and rapidity in a solution of ammonic tartrate than it 

 does in one of the oxalate, the acetate, or even the 

 carbonate, it seems to show that the ammonic tartrate 

 state of combination is an especially favourable plat- 

 form for the initiation of these new and more complex 

 modes of combination 1 . 



Again, then, it may be argued that the production of 

 living matter from such simple not-living constituents 

 could not take place unless there were a great natural 

 tendency for the molecules of certain compounds to 

 fall into the more complex modes of combination 

 which exist in living matter. 



If in answer to this it is urged that such mysterious 

 combinations can only occur in connection with, and 

 under the immediate influence of, pre-existing living 

 matter, the reader will now be in a position to estimate 

 the real value of the reply. We have shown how over- 

 whelming is the evidence in favour of the de novo evolu- 

 tion of living matter even under the influence of con- 

 ditions which might be deemed little favourable for the 

 occurrence of such a process. If, then, such combina- 

 tions can occur after the materials have been exposed 

 to the influence of very high temperatures within herme- 

 tically-sealed flasks, how much more likely are they to 

 take place when unaltered organic solutions are freely 



1 See Appendix C, pp. xlvi-xlviii. 



