TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 129 



form of shell-growth. Such incipient structure occurs in Ostraa, in which the 

 shell-muscle (in aged individuals) dips down from layer to layer, offering a rough 

 approximation to the siphuncle in Atiiria. Mr. '^^^^odward described the structure 

 of the shell, and showed by actual dissection that no vascular system exists con- 

 necting the shell with the animal by means of the siphuncle. The siphuncle 

 proves upon examination only to be a thin pearly tube, within which is another, 

 composed of an extension of the periostracum, and quite destitute of structure. 

 Shell-structure proves, when once formed, to be dead matter destitute of change, 

 save where actually in contact with the mantle of the animal, which alone can add 

 to or repair the shelly covering. 



A Statement in rephj to the two Objections of Professor IfiLvle;/ relative to 

 certain Experiments. By H. Chaelton Bastian-, M.D., F.R.S. 



The objections raised by Prof Huxley, in his Inaugural Address, against certain 

 experiments bearing on the possibility of the genesis of living things from not 

 living materials were two in number. One was an objection of a practical cha- 

 racter, and another purely theoretical. The former was to the effect that the very 

 fact of its heing possible to preserve meats of all kinds for years, by adopting 

 almost exactly the same process as that which had been employed in these expe- 

 riments, was of itself evidence sufficiently strong to excite a doubt as to whether 

 there was not some source of error in these experiments, even though it had not 

 hitherto been detected. The results of some inquiries which the author has since 

 made show, however, that whUe the meats are subjected to a much higher tem- 

 perature than had been supposed (this, too, for a prolonged period), organisms 

 are to be met with even in provisions obtained from the most approved sources, 

 and sold as "perfectly good" (see 'Nature,' Nos. 47 & 48). But although the 

 •quality of the provisions may not be affected by the presence of these organisms, 

 the objection which was urged against such experiments as those of the author 

 must lose its value, especially when the fact is also borne in mind, and which 

 ■was freely confessed to him by one of the best preparers of these preserved meats, 

 that in a certain number of the failures which occur, the cause of the putrefaction 

 or mouldiness cannot be accounted for. In many cases the obvious failures are 

 due to defective closure of the tin case in which the provisions are enclosed ; but in 

 certain of the failures, of course few in number, neither this nor any other cause 

 of failure could be ascertained. The author then proceeded to consider the second 

 or theoretical objection which had been started. Does it not seem almost incredi- 

 ble, Prof Huxley asks, that the living things which are now supposed to be 

 J>roduced de novo] should be, in most cases, almost precisely similar to the lower 

 brms of life which are ordinarily met with in organic infusion ? Theory seemed 

 only capable of being met by theory, and he claimed that in the consideration of 

 such a question as this, which was admitted to be still an open one, the advocates 

 of either of the two opposing views must not strongly urge an objection which, 

 though it might be good and valid if all the world thought with him, would turn 

 out to be not valid at all if the views of his opponents were correct. The author 

 accordingly contended that although it might be extremely difficult, almost im- 

 possible, to explain the coincidence above referred to if eveiy living thing did 

 really originate from a preexisting living thing, the objection, on the other hand, 

 80 far from bein^ an objection, was in reality only what might have been expected 

 if the views which he and others hold are really true. He then pointed out why 

 he thought that if living matter could arise independently of preexisting living 

 matter, it would be only reasonable to suppose that such new-born living matter 

 would not only be as plastic and modifiable as the lowest known living things are 

 now admitted to be, but capable of rapidly going through even gi-eater changes 

 than are at present recognized. This being the case, from his point of view, a 

 similarity between the developmental forms resulting from new-born living matter 

 and the organisms usually met with in infusions was only what might have been 

 ■expected. Our present state of knowledge does not permit us to say which or 

 1870. 9 



