ORIGIN OF LIFE, SEX, SPECIES, ETC. 201 



it follows as a corollary that the motion of each 

 particle 1 and mass is directly conditioned by its 

 collisions with surrounding particles and masses, 

 and indirectly by the collisions of these with others 

 surrounding them, and, next in order, of the colli- 

 sions of these others with still others, and so on, ad 

 infinitum, until in an unending series all particles 

 and masses in existence are included. Since this 

 is an inevitable inference from the universal dictum 

 of all experience and of a part of every experience, 

 and since the reliability of any fact or dictum of 

 consciousness is in direct proportion to its univer- 

 sality and ubiquity, therefore does this proposition 

 possess the highest possible degree of reliability. 



From the facts of crystallization, it seems an in- 

 exorable inference that the ultimate particles of 

 every substance have a certain shape peculiarly their 

 own, which, or a compound of which is shown in 

 the form of the crystal. The ultimate particles 

 must also occupy a fixed amount of space each 

 and possess a positive amount of mass, or else 

 specific gravity would be inexplicable, if not im- 

 possible. 



These considerations involuntarily almost pro- 

 duce a leaning of the mind towards the belief of the 

 ancient alchemists, viz., that all the various kinds 

 of elementary substances are merely differently 



'In this essay the word "particle" is used to signify atoms, 

 molecules, and small individualized concentrations of matter, 

 such as are often referred to as specks, grains, corpuscles, elec- 

 trons, etc. 



