/. /Fp 



°f -'tun,:,, 



this lij„, protoplasm. Nay 



T/I^ BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



31 



into that by which they are converted into living 



d 



in a 



i 



miltU; 



phosphate^ 

 an albiiur 



that 



t: 



y^teries of ^^ living things takes place with so much more energy 



and rapidity in a solution of ammonic tartrate than it 

 does in one of the oxalate, the acetate, or even the 

 carbonate, it seems to show that the ammonic tartrate 

 state of combination is an especially favourable plat- 

 form for the initiation of these new and more complex 

 modes of combination ^. 



Again, then, it may be argued that the production of 

 living matter from such simple not-living constituents 



elements of' 

 ituentsofthep 



becomes e\ 



'en 



Tvations, astfl could not take place unless there were a great natural 

 Vorul£ multiplj tendency for the molecules of certain compounds to 



ivtrate to wk fall into the more complex modes of combination 

 lIso In solutioi which exist in living matter. 



^act that tbisffl If in answer to this it is urged that such mysterious 

 tinces notonlj combinations can only occur in connection with, and 

 ' f rmationof'^^l^d^^ the immediate influence of, pre-existing living 



jyglt matter, the reader will now be in a position to estimate 



,c comparatn^ 



ion 



of the ele 



the real value of the reply. We 



his may take p- 

 it does occur ^ 



whelming is the evidence in favour of the de novo evolu- 

 tion of living matter even under the influence of con- 

 ditions which might be deemed little favourable for the 

 based upo" P ' occurrence of such a process. If, then, such combina- 

 jphur as a ^^ j ^^Q^g ^2,xi occur after the materials have been exposed 

 ^^^^^"^ bling t^^^'^^*-^ ^^^ influence of very high temperatures within herme- 

 ^ ^ ^]phur d^^!"^ tically-sealed flasks, how much more likely are they to 

 ' rw^^ develop .^jtake place when unaltered organic solutions are freely 



5ee Appendix C, pp. xlvi-xlviii. 



1 



