186 JMFLUENCE OF HEAT UPON LIVING MATTER. 
Having established the fact of the present ele- 
mental ‘origin’ of living matter, those who choose 
may afterwards seek to discover and explain the 
“steps by which it occurs. This appears to me to 
be at present an almost hopeless line of research. 
And certainly before venturing to attempt to 
unravel a problem so exceedingly difficult and 
complex, I should strive to solve the riddle of 
organic ‘growth.’ What, for instance, are the steps 
of the process by which protoplasm is produced 
from the elements of a simple solution of ammonic 
tartrate, when Bacteria are rapidly growing and 
multiplying therein? Here is the problem of 
growth and nutrition in its simplest form! Yet 
who can solve it? Till this is done we shall 
stand little chance of discovering the chemical stages 
of the process by which Living Matter originates. 
Meanwhile let none forget, that, from the point 
of view of our ignorance of the intimate nature 
of both processes, we may as reasonably doubt the 
fact that Living Matter grows as we may doubt 
the fact that it can arise independently — and, 
further, let none forget that Origin and Growth are 7 
in essence merely stages of one and the same 
process. 
“LONDON: R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS. 
