Now, let us take a retrogressive step and look back into the 

 synthesis of living beings. No analytical or synthetical chemistry 

 can give us the origin of life or tell us what it is. The principle 

 that gives the inert mass the power of life is the secret of the 

 Creator, and will never be comprehended by the finite mind of 

 man. What life is, no one knows. It is said to be the result of 

 the activity of the cells. Now, a cell is the lowest form of life, both 

 anmal and vegetable, and from these single cells all life is produced. 



Let us examine a simple living cell. If we study it carefully we 

 .shall find that it is composed of an unresponsive, powerless mass 

 of protoplasm and a vital force. By the union of these two factors 

 it becomes an independent organism, possessing well-marked 

 function.s. This is the first step in the wonderful evolution of life. 



Protoplasm (from protos, first, and plasma, mould, or what has 

 been formed) was first so called by Hugo von Mohl as recently 

 as 1846; and the simplest form of life which first emerges 

 from the inorganic to the organic world consists of protoplasm, or, 

 as Huxley calls it, the physical basis of life. It is a colorless semi- 

 fluid or jelly-like substance, which consists of albuminoid matter. It 

 exists in every living cell, both animal and vegetable. It is just as 

 certain that all individual life, from the most elementary proto- 

 plasm up to the highest organism, man, originates in a minute or 

 embryo cell, as it is that oxygen and hydrogen combined in certain 

 proportions make water. Our most delicate means of research 

 throw no light on the purely vital endowments of protoplasm, which 

 not only direct and control its activities, but are transmitted in 

 well-defined characters from parent to offspring. One thing we 

 do know, that there is no life without pre-existing life from which 

 it is derived, and the physical basis through which it acts or is 

 made manifest furnishes no satisfactory explanation as to its real 

 es.sence and constitution. 



It is impossible to procure pure protoplasm for chemical analysis, 

 as it contains many extraneous substances ; and even if this could 

 be done, a chemical analysis of living protoplasm cannot be made. 

 And it is a well-known fact that there is evidence to show that 

 there is considerable difference in the chemical properties of living 

 and dead protoplasm. For instance, carmine and other coloring 

 matters do not color living protoplasm, while on the other hand 

 they give a brilliant stain to dead protoplasm. 



To illustrate : Analytical chemistry is the pulling down of sub- 

 stances ; synthetical chemistry is the building up of a more or less 

 complicated product from its elementary constituents. For in- 

 stance, if we heat a little sugar to redness in a test tube it leaves a 

 black deposit, which is carbon, while a liquid, which is water, dis- 

 tils over ; and on electrolyzing this fluid we resolve it into hydro- 

 gen and oxygen, so that we can thus show that sugar is composed 

 of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. This pulhng down or taking to 

 piec'^s of sugar (analysis) is an easy matter, but the putting these 

 same elements or pieces together again (the synthesis of sugar) is a 



