PKOOFS OF BEALE'S PROTOPLASMIC THEORY". 67 



again divide to produce secondary clusters. The proof 

 that the matrix is produced by these bioplasts is given 

 by the fact that the quantity of matrix formed is 

 greater between the primary than between the secon- 

 dary clusters. If the matrix grew independently this 

 would not be the case. 



" The activity of change of an organ or texture may 

 be judged of by the number of bioplasts present in it " 

 ("Biopl.," 295.) 



No process properly vital or characteristic of living 

 beings occurs without the bioplasm taking part in it. 



The peculiar form of the fibres of the elastic cartilage 

 of the epiglottis can hardly be accounted for except on 

 the supposition that each mass of protoplasm revolves 

 while it forms delicate fibres. A similar process must 

 be supposed in the formation of the spiral fibres of the 

 sympathetic ganglion cells (" Biopl.," 94). 



As a summary, Dr. Beale states that his theory 

 would need to be greatly modified, if not entirely 

 abandoned, " if it could be shown that the intercellular 

 substance of cartilage is deposited from the blood in- 

 dependently of the cells ; or that ' intercellular sub- 

 stance/ or ' cell walls/ are ever formed independently 

 of germinal matter ; or that the matter of which the 

 * cell wall ' consists is deposited layer upon layer, in- 

 stead of layer within layer ; or that the germinal mat- 

 ter is not, at any period of development, in bodily 

 continuity with the formed material; or that the ger- 

 minal matter is capable of exerting an influence upon 

 matter situated at a distance from it, or that pabulum 

 does not become germinal matter, but it is merely 

 changed or converted into new matter by some meta- 



52 



