56 BEALE'S PROTOPLASMIC THEORY. 



matters developed at death, or foreign bodies if seen 

 in living amoebae, or such living corpuscles. From its 

 transparency and total absence of structure, it has 

 been mistaken for mere passive fluid, occupying a 

 space or vacuole. It is a semi-fluid, slightly viscid 

 substance, like gum or syrup, but not susceptible of" 

 true solution. " The elementary particles of germinal 

 matter are invariably spherical, although the masses 

 compounded of them very much in form. There 

 is reason to believe that the spherical particles are 

 themselves composed of spherical particles, and so on 

 to a minuteness far beyond that which it is possible to 

 realize." If we could see into such a mass, says 

 Dr. Beale ("Prot.," p. 277), "in each little spherule the 

 matter would be in active movement, and new minute 

 spherules would be springing into being at its central 

 part. Those spherules already formed would be making 

 their way outwards, so as to give place to new ones, 

 which continually arise in the centre of every one of 

 the animated particles." Each spherical particle is 

 free to move in fluid, and the spaces which, weonust 

 conclude, exist between the spherical particles of living 

 matter are probably occupied by fluid." This fluid 

 contains, in solution, pabulum, or matter about to 

 become living substances which exert a chemical 

 action/ but do not form a constituent part of the living 

 mass and " substances resulting from the changes 

 ensuing in particles which have arrived at the end 

 of their period of existence, and the compounds formed 



* This probably includes those soluble matters suitable for maintain- 

 ing the fluid in a proper osmotic condition, and also which may act as 

 stimuli, which last Dr, Beale seldom alludes to. 



