1 8 THE MYSTERY OF LIFE. 



doctrine will enable us to account for the 

 phenomena it exhibits. We demonstrate some 

 transparent stuff which takes from around it 

 certain matters dissolved in the water in which 

 it lives, and converts these into stuff like itself. 

 How ? " By its molecular machinery, worked 

 by its molecular forces," answers the force- 

 philosophy. It moves, and different portions 

 of the little piece move in opposite directions 

 at the very same instant. What makes it move ? 

 " Its molecular machinery by the laws of mole- 

 cular physics," we are told ! And is it really 

 to be expected that inquiry is to be stifled, 

 and curiosity satisfied by such announcements 

 as these ? How are the forces conditioned ? 

 What is the structure of the supposed force- 

 conditioning machinery, and how did it make 

 itself ? No answer but " future investigation 

 will decide." But at this time we demonstrate, 

 by our own observation, that the stuff that 

 moves is clear, transparent, and, under a power 

 of five thousand diameters, perfectly structure- 

 less. We can see no " machinery," and we 

 know that there is no machinery in the living 

 matter at all like any machinery known to us, 

 or in any way tending to approach it in charac- 



