TO THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 51 



taken, and exposed to the mercury arc light as before illuminated 

 during two periods of 55 minutes and 2 hours 50 minutes respect- 

 ively, making 3 hours 45 minutes in all. Part of the solution dis- 

 tilled off gave a distinct positive reaction with Schiff's test. Another 

 portion coagulated by boiling, and filtered from iron, but not dis- 

 tilled, gave a positive reaction with gallic acid and concentrated 

 sulphuric acid (Mulliken's test). 



The experiment was continued next day, from 10.15 a.m. till 

 2.15 p.m. ; at the end of this 4 hours' period the solution coagulated, 

 owing to a failure in the water circulation and the temperature 

 rising. The coagulated fluid was filtered and the filtrate tested ; 

 it gave a marked positive effect with Schiff's test and also a 

 positive result with Mulliken's test ; a trace of iron left over 

 interfered with the Schryver test, but on distillation this also 

 was obtained. 



Experiment VI. This was conducted similarly to the above 

 Experiments IV. and V. for a period of 1 hour 40 minutes. Then a 

 trace of ammonium carbonate amounting to only 1 part in 1000 was 

 added with the view of forming hexamethylenetetramin and so 

 concentrating the formaldehyde, but even this trace coagulated 

 the solution. 



The experiment was, however, continued for 5| hours additional. 

 A small portion was acidified and distilled. The distillate gave a 

 marked positive reaction with Schryver's test. 



Experiment VII. A dilute colloidal solution of ferric hydroxide 

 (1 in 15) of stock solution, equivalent to 0-13 per cent, of ferric 

 oxide, was exposed after saturation with carbon dioxide in a silica 

 test-tube 3 inches away from the mercury arc, during the time the 

 lamp was lit on three days, probably about 12 hours in all. A 

 most marked reaction to all tests. The reaction quantitatively is 

 slightly less than the uranium effect (see Experiment VII. of 

 previous section), and throughout it appears that the uranium 

 catalyst is somewhat more powerful than the ferric catalyst. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



Organic matter (aldehyde) has been synthesised from inorganic 

 colloidal uranic and ferric hydroxides in very dilute solution. These 

 colloids act as catalysts for light energy, converting it into chemical 

 energy in a reduction process similar to the first stage of synthesis 



