NUCLEUS AS SOURCE OF ENERGY 169 



on gelatin would in its initial stage be of interest to 

 follow, just as in the case of the formation of crystals 

 it is the initial stage, as von Schron has pointed out, 

 that is of real importance. In the case of precipitates 

 in organic media the amount of salt used, if large, is 

 sufficient to obliterate any cellular effects which may 

 be produced initially, so that only an agglomerated 

 mass results, without the structures, a crystal or 

 two of the salt being sufficient to produce the cellular 

 structure which forms the subject of so many 

 developments in the colloid medium, whereas if a 

 bucketful of salt is thrown in the effect is merely that 

 of an ordinary precipitate. It will be remembered 

 in this connection that our old friend Bathybius 

 turned out to be a mineral precipitate from muddy 

 sea-water mixed with alcohol. Now whether such 

 globules did or did not possess a kind of structure 

 which should have enabled us to regard them as a 

 certain type of cells we cannot at present say. 

 It is evident, however, that in sufficient quantities 

 such globules, whether cells or not, would 

 aggregate and present all the outward appearance 

 of an ordinary precipitate. 



Similarly as regards the cells produced by the 

 active minerals upon organic compounds. The 

 bio-carbon compound, or element as it may be, 

 would to some extent correspond to Richter and 

 Preyer's theory of cosmoza, the idea being that 

 these are merely particles, or, strictly speaking, germs 

 possessing vital properties. If such germs coming 

 from other heavenly bodies find suitable surroundings 



