LIFE AS COMPAEED WITH THE PHYSICAL FOECES. 41 



degree. When they shall have done this. — when they can 

 show us, in the receiver, a globule which assimilates outside 

 matter, grows, displays irritability, reproduces itself, and dies, 

 their claims may be sure of a fair examination. But it is 

 surely unphilosophical to take into account evidence which 

 has never yet been brought forward. 



24. In fine the more we observe, experiment, and study, the 

 more w^e are disposed to conclude with Moses, Hunter, and 

 Darwin — who all substantially agree on this point — that 

 life has not sprung up spontaneously on the earth, but that 

 it has been originated by a Higher Power. We may safely 

 say that this power cannot have been the god of Comte and 

 the Positivists, Human Nature in the abstract. 



Dlscussion. 



Dr. R. C. Shettle. — I think that Mr. Slater has done e-ood ser- 

 vice by reading a paper before this Society on " Life as compared 

 with the Physical Forces," because it paves the way for the inves- 

 tigation and discussion of this great problem, animal life ; and the 

 mode in which the various phenomena are elicited bj the animal 

 body, from the motion of a muscle to the evolution of mental 

 power, is a subject to which I have for many years devoted a very 

 large portion of that leisure time which I could snatch from tiie 

 active practice of my profession ; and this must be my excuse for 

 occupying the attention of this meeting for a short time in reply to 

 Mr. Slater's remarks. 



I think that a careful perusal of the paper, justifies the remark 

 that the author has taken what may be called the negative view of 

 this great question. 1 say " great question," because a little con- 

 sideration must show that it is a question which involves, directly 

 or indirectly, all the best interests of man both in this world and 

 in the v/orld to come. At the same time, it is a question which 

 is often avoided because of the difficulties wluch have to be sur- 

 mounted by anyone who ventures to enter upon it. Mr. Slater 

 has reminded us that we can measure light, heat, electricity and 

 magnetism, but that we cannot measure life; and again, he has 

 told us that whilst we can convert the physical forces into each 

 •other, wo cm effect no such transformations with life. In passing 



