72 PROF. LIONEL §. BEALE, F.R.C.P., F.R.S., ON VITALITY. 
part of the living matter which caused it to live. Let me say 
that, in discussing the actual phenomena of life, I have been led 
to consider what takes place at a point beyond that to which 
at present our sight can penetrate, though possibly our mind 
may “see.” 
Professor OrcHARD.—Quite so. But what effects the change ? 
Professor Lions Beate.—Vitality—and then we must con- 
sider every change that occurs in the bioplasm, the only seat of 
vital action through nature. 
As regards evolution, I should like to know something about 
the evolution of the bat, and particularly the nature of the 
transformations occurring at a very early period of germ life 
antecedent to the formation of tissues and organs and anything 
like a bat. But Professor Orchard’s “evolutionists” do not 
explain even the evolution of his wings, and I doubt whether 
they have the least idea of the structure or mode of formation of 
the smallest portion of the thin membranous portion of the wing, 
to say nothing of the bat himself. 
The CuarrmMan.—I am only a chemist, and it has been the 
struggle of chemists to keep clear of biology; but biology 
invaded us. By adopting the word organic we thought at any 
rate we should be safe and that organs were living, and so we 
used the word to imply the structure of organisms, and then we 
found that chemistry was invaded by the result of formless organs ; 
and so, with all our science, we find we cannot get away from this 
utterly mysterious problem that not even the whole of our bodies 
are living; but that minute fractions of them possess properties so 
marvellous that they take the entire bulk, both dead and living, 
out of the ordinary category of the non-living and make it a 
totally different thing. 
Professor Beale has brought us face to face with the great 
problem of all others, and I think perhaps that some of us, 
though we may not use the Greek form, are obliged to confess 
ourselves in the living form ignoramuses. 
Professor LioneL Brate.—Judging by Professor Japp’s paper 
on ‘‘ Vitalism” we are going to have much help from chemists 
before long. 
Perhaps I might ask the Chairman whether it would be 
possible to organize a few meetings to discuss some of these 
questions amongst ourselves. It might be well considered by 
