1871.] Notices of Books. 529 



short of proving the production of living organisms from dead 

 organic materials in conjunction with the ordinary forms of 

 physical force. 



He commences with a wide and somewhat unsatisfactory 

 definition of life as " an energy capable of influencing both 

 the material ultimates and the physical forces." There is 

 in man a conscious revelation that life consists in a somewhat 

 distinct from the elements of his organism ; this somewhat 

 Mr. Ponton terms an organiser, which receives its organising 

 faculty direct; from the Creator. The organiser is characterised 

 by four properties — indefinite extensibility, indefinite divisibility, 

 penetrability, and the capability of binary combination ; it cannot 

 be material, but itself exercises a peculiar influence over matter; 

 it is not itself a force, but it has a special power over the 

 physical forces, in virtue of which it can compel the ultimates to 

 perform motions altogether unlike those which they perform 

 under the influence of the physical forces alone. The organisers, 

 according to our experience, do not originate forces, but merely 

 avail themselves of the forces already existing ; but they are 

 endowed, besides their faculty of organisation, with the psychical 

 attributes of volition, instinct, consciousness, &c. The author 

 devotes a chapter to " Protoplasm," and analyses the writings of 

 Huxley, Stirling, and Beale. He strongly condemns the physical 

 theory of vitality, which he interprets Professor Huxley to adopt, 

 but is in very considerable accord with Professor Beale, who has 

 devoted to the subject such laborious investigation. 



Reverting to primordial creation, Mr. Ponton considers that the 

 balance of evidence is vastly in favour of the view, that the ear- 

 liest organisms were formed by a gradual process. Concerning 

 their mode of evolution there are two hypotheses : the first 

 enunciating that evolution of the various forms took place from 

 a single organiser; the second, that during the creative epochs, 

 the Deity established in succession a vast number of organisers. 

 In considering the first hypothesis — that of Organic Derivation — 

 the author adversely criticises Mr. Darwin's views. Whilst 

 acknowledging the existence of certain difficulties, he leans to 

 the second hypothesis — that of Specific Creation. 



The second part of the work is of great interest. The author 

 carefully analyses the expressions in the Scriptural account of 

 the Creation in the original Hebrew, and places them side by 

 side with the hypotheses deduced from scientific observation ; 

 the lessons derived from these mutual interpretations are in 

 some instances startling, and, though in some they are in the 

 nature of vague surmise, the author succeeds in impressing 

 his reader with the conviction that the two records, observed and 

 revealed, have very close mutual co-aptations. In every part of 

 his work the author has placed himself en rapport with the 

 actual state of science, and his observations will be read with 

 interest by a large number of scientific and literary men. 



