60 BEALE'S PROTOPLASMIC THEORY. 



destitute of nuclei, but these bodies sometimes make 

 their appearance if the mass be more freely supplied 

 with nutrient matter." "The nucleus is a new centre 

 of growth, and within it new centres may arise. The 

 nucleus has the power of resisting the action of con- 

 ditions which would destroy the remainder of the 

 germinal matter; so that the nucleus may retain its 

 vitality under certain circumstances which would 

 certainly cause the destruction of the elementary part, 

 and this nucleus may at a future time grow, and 

 produce an infinite number of elementary parts."* 

 " The nuclei and nucleoli, although they are bioplasm, 

 do not undergo conversion into formed material. Under 

 certain conditions the nucleus may increase and ex- 

 hibit all the phenomena of ordinary bioplasm ; new 

 nuclei may be developed within it, new nucleoli 

 within them ; so that ordinary bioplasm may become 

 formed material, while its ' nucleus' grows larger, 

 and becomes ordinary bioplasm" ("Biopl.," p. 55). " The 

 formation of new centres within centres goes on for 

 many series, each acquiring new powers, till at last one 

 is evolved which forms the tissue or organ. These 

 are all direct descendants of each other, and each 

 retains, by inheritance, some of the powers possessed 

 by those which preceded it." Thus the nature and 

 functions of the nuclei are explained, and, to a certain 

 extent, in harmony with previous views of a certain 

 pre-eminence in this body (see p. 20). 



Such are the cardinal properties of the one anato- 

 mical substance which forms the basis of life. We 



* Beale : "Med. Chir. Review," vol. xxx. p. 210. 



