/ 



VI 



PRE FA CE. 



\ 



vi 



I 



although at first wishing to do this in a work much 

 smaller than that which I now submit to the public, it 

 was soon found that more elaboration would be needed. 

 The scope of the subject itself, moreover, widened so 

 rapidly — biological problems of such enormous import- 

 ance were opened up— that I at last felt compelled to 

 pursue the investigation in a manner a little more com- 

 mensurate with the magnitude of its dependent issues. 



The First Part of this work was written and printed j 

 nearly three years ago. It was intended to show the 

 general reader, more especially, that the logical conse- '. 

 quences of the now commonly accepted doctrines con- • 

 cerning the 'Conservation of Energy' and the 'Cor- 1 

 relation of the Vital and Physical Forces,' were wholly J' 

 favourable to the possibility of the independent origin 

 of living' matter. It also contains a review of the 

 'Cellular Theory of Organization,' which was written. 

 and was in type before I had had the pleasure of reading' 

 Prof Strieker's essay on ' Cells.' 



In the Second Part of the work, under the headj 

 Archebiosis,' the question as to the present occurrence. 



or non-occurrence of ' spontaneous generation ' is fully 

 considered. And in spite of all the difficulties— in | 

 great part imaginary — which have hitherto interfered 

 with the acceptance of a positive solution of this 

 problem, it seems to me one which is now not difficult 

 to solve. It must be considered to turn almost wholly^ 

 upon the possibility of the de novo origin of Bacteria;^ 

 since if such a mode of origin can be prpved for theiBj 

 it must also be conceded for other allied fungoid and^ 



Evidence which is of the most convincing , 

 character when looked at from all sides, now shows 



algoid units. 



that Bact^ 

 yet simi^^ 

 multiply 



althoug 

 viously 



vt 



h t 

 ex 



212 



'2 



F. 1 



all experi 

 Pasteur 

 obvious to 

 perature 



ments yie 

 admit that 



rapidly 



a: 



mi 



novo 



withi 



even if no 

 which can 

 conducted 

 present sta 



arise de no^i 



also 



suppoi 



Panspermia 

 be adduced 

 have been 



Mantegaz2 

 although t 



subjected t 



peratures, 

 Several of 

 first time ; 

 plained ex' 

 obtained j 



