3l6 DARWINISM AND THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE 



experiment has failed ; it does not show that there may 

 not be other unknown methods by which living albumen 

 can be constructed. In a word, we can quite understand 

 the failure of all the attempts made up to the present to 

 create living matter, because in the actual condition of 

 our knowledge of life they are merely shots in the 

 dark. 



It is possible, in fact, that life could only be formed 

 on our planet when it was at a certain stage of 

 development that has long since passed away. The 

 distinguished physiologist Pfliiger has formulated and 

 firmly established a theory in that sense. He 

 believes that the first steps towards life could only be 

 taken when the earth was still entirely or partially in a 

 molten condition. This would be a justification of the 

 old saying that life was born from fire. 



I cannot, unfortunately, go into Pfluger's theory at 

 any length, as it requires a thorough knowlege of 

 chemistry. I will merely give a general outline 

 of it. 



There are certain elaborate compounds, known as 

 "cyanic compounds," which are easily broken up, and 

 have a good deal of analogy with living matter. These 

 compounds are only formed at an incandescent heat. 

 They may, therefore, have been formed when the earth 

 was still incandescent at its surface. In consequence of 

 their decomposibility they soon entered into relations 

 with other compounds. And when the steam descended 

 on the earth, and the masses of water began to form, the 

 cyanic compounds combined with the fluid element and 

 the salts dissolved in it, and thus gave rise to the living 



