OF 



LiFi:^ 



) 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



SI 



are 



plar 



^^Pable o( whereby they fall into living modes of combination, 

 solutions. ' 



% 



can 



\ 



We are quite prepared to expect that, in a short 

 ^ake pi time, some solution of saline substances may be 

 ^^^e saline s- discovered capable of retaining its power of passing 

 cnce— that oft through life-evolving changes, even after having been 

 mcnts of tlie , subjected within hermetically-sealed vessels to very high 

 ^ such a mannr temperatures. That is to say, we believe that some 

 on, whereby tt^^y ^ saline solution will be found in which, without 



^•e must again a 

 2S are at worb 

 cular movemei 

 letcrmined pi 



^ . 



aid from co-existing organic matter^ synthetic life- 

 giving combinations may occur. In order to attain 

 this end, a combination of substances will be needed 

 capable of withstanding an exposure (under pressure i) 

 to such high temperatures as would suffice to break up 



1 only exert aa: ^^^ peculiarly « organic ' compounds, and yet leave the 



1 



the molecule; ^^^^^ constituents of the sealed flask in such a condition 



rrht into contac 



as to enable them to lapse into living modes of combi- 

 ) chemical a* nation — ^just as easily as the elements of ammonic 

 5 underM a re^: tartrate and water do under the influence of a dead 



ley 



are convert ferment. 



pc 



lied to ^^s^'^ These considerations are replete with interest. They 

 already ^^i insensibly lead us on to the enquiry as to whether living 

 , 15 a I things can now originate upon the surface of our globe 



1^* C^ ii, r"iji • 1*11 >• J^^* 



Ics 



of the sal"^ 



after the same manner in which alone (in accordance 



)f com 



binatio"' 



comp 



el us 



to 





^ The higher the degree of heat, the greater does the pressure become 

 within the flask. It must not be forgotten that under such influences 



velTl^^^^ alone there is the possibility of synthetic changes taking place. As 



n 



table 



fhOW ^^^°^^ mentioned (p. 24), cyanimide (CN^ H'') is converted into cya- 



ture 



as 



to 



a 



Huramide (C^N^ H^) at a temperature of i5o°C. 



