524 ORGANOLOGY. 



vessels, because the fluids are in immediate contact with cells, and can 

 therefore only be taken up immediately by them: in this imbibition 

 consists the very essence of resorption. Where the fluids are distributed 

 by a vascular system, as in vertebrate animals, this happens also to the 

 resorbed fluids ; but if the distribution of fluids takes place from cell to 

 cell in plants and invertebrate animals, so does the same take place with 

 the resorbed juices ; but this distribution of fluid is altogether distinct 

 from resorption. The term, however, I think, is perfectly admissible, and 

 without adopting it, a word would be wanting to designate a recognised 

 important process in Vegetable Physiology. In using it, there is no occa- 

 sion to think of processes going on in the animal system ; and even then 

 it is more correct than such a word as sex (sexus), or male and female, &c., 

 words without any foundation, and only expressing foregone conclusions 

 from Zoology to Botany. 



E. Reproduction of Plants. 



205. There are four conceivable ways in which any given 

 plant may have originated. 



1. From the spontaneous meeting of pure organic matters with a 

 specifically-defined organic form. 



2. From the spontaneous formation of a specifically-definite 

 organic form out of formless organic matter. 



3. From the development of a separate organised (cellular) 

 formation from a definite species of plant. 



4. From the development of a separate organised formation 

 (embryo in the widest sense) from a definite species of plant to a 

 plant of the same species. 



The two first suppositions, the so-called primitive or first gene- 

 ration (jgeneratio originaria, spontanea, equivoca, &c.), and the third, 

 do not appear, so far as observation is concerned, to be admissible. 

 The fourth is alone correct. 



The question about spontaneous generation is very imperfectly under- 

 stood, and the first and second questions are often confounded with each 

 other, which is evidently a great mistake, as a plant may certainly be pro- 

 duced from already formed organic matter, without interfering with those 

 laws of our planet which forbid the supposition of the generation of 

 organic forms from inorganic matter. No evidence can be brought for- 

 ward to show that inorganic matter, independent of an organism, can 

 produce organic matter. What is now wanting in chemistry is the 

 formation of such matters as those which are found to constitute the 

 assimilated substances of plants from the inorganic elements. 



Nothing can be more groundless than the assertion, that chemistry 

 could never succeed in producing actually assimilated substances from 

 inorganic matter. But .the discussion of this possibility has been entirely 

 fruitless. 



The rejection of the other two origins of plants has another foundation, 

 and relates to the understanding of that which we call a species in plants. 

 On this point disputes alone, but no philosophically accurate definitions, 



