278 PROFESSOR LIONEL S. BEALE, M.B.; P.R.S. 



minute germ, almost every one who Avrites or speaks on the 

 subject seems to believe that " structure " is the undiscovered 

 secret. On the other hand, to my mind the evidence we 

 already possess is conclusive that all structure is a consequence, 

 and not a cause, of prior changes in the structureless, and 

 that universally in the living world " structure " is preceded 

 by absolute structurelessness. 



The source of all function as well as structure and 

 character of all forms and types, is the structureless. It is to 

 the operation of some force, power, or property temporarily 

 (that is, while the matter in question is alive) in or upon the 

 material particles of this matter, that structure is due. " Life " 

 is associated with the structureless only, and is altogether inde- 

 pendent, not only of structural peculiarities, but of internal 

 chemical composition. Matter exhibiting structure never pos- 

 sesses the vital property of producing its like, and structural 

 characters and chemical properties can be demonstrated only 

 in the case of matter which has ceased to live, — not in the 

 structureless substance which is actually alive, — that is during 

 the time when it manifests all its wonderful powers of move- 

 ment, formation, and transmission of power like its own to the 

 non-living. Life must be sought for not in the structure, 

 but in the structureless. It is here only we can study its 

 working. In structure, and action, and function we see the 

 results, the consequences of the working of life-power, but 

 the life-power itself has fled ere structure can be discerned, 

 or the presence of a definite chemical compound proved. 



We know that the material substance of the structureless is 

 alone under the dominion of life-power, and that the matter of 

 all structure, like the rest of the lifeless matter of the universe, 

 is under the sway of ordinary physical law. I do not see how 

 we can proceed one step in the study of the truly vital until 

 the absolute structurelessness of living matter, and the 

 temporary domination of the physical and chemical by the 

 vital, be admitted ; and I venture to maintain that, if we had 

 allowed our judgment to be guided by facts of observation 

 and experiment only, we should long ago have accepted these 

 propositions as established, necessary, and incontrovertible 

 truths. 



