1 882.] Organic Physics. 481 



The ideas here advanced as to the constitution of the organic 

 unit are not mere baseless supposition. This unit must be com- 

 posed of chemical molecules, either identical or diverse in char- 

 acter. Their chemical activity seems to render a diversity more 

 probable than an identity ; but the apparent homogeneity of each 

 unit seems to indicate that its molecules are not diverse in their 

 chemical constitution, but only in their degree of chemical satis- 

 faction. They must be either acid, basic or neutral in character, 

 and very probably divergences in this respect occur between the 

 molecules of every unit mass. But in mixtures of acid, basic and 

 neutral molecules there might be great variations ; here the acid, 

 there the basic energy might be in excess. In other cases there 

 might be a balance between these energies. Probably all these 

 variations exist in organic units. Yet for the reasons we have 

 here given, it seems probable that the unit mass in which the en- 

 ergies of the acid and basic molecules were balanced, would be 

 best constituted for vigorous chemical action ; and particularly 

 so if these acid and basic energies diverged considerably from the 

 neutral line. Such we conceive to be the constitution of a fully 

 active chemical unit. But the process of cell division tends to 

 diminish this activity. 



For the separation of a nucleus into two halves, through its 

 neutral equatorial region, must leave one of these halves with an 

 excess of acid over basic vigor, and the other with an excess 

 of basic over acid. The full energy of the acid pole remains 

 in the one, in combination with a basic pole of reduced energy ; 

 a nd the same rule applies to the basic pole of the other. 

 Thus the chemical energy of each must be less than that of the 

 original unit. A second division adds to this effect. Of the acid 

 naif, for instance, after re-division in one of the new cells, the 

 energy of the acid pole would be retained, with a basic pole still 

 further diminished in energy; while in the other the two poles 

 would return towards equality, but with diminished energy. This 

 lv "sion must constantly tend to reduce the chemical energy of 

 the cells. 



A formula may aid in the elucidation of this principle. Sup- 

 Pose A b stands for a normal unit, A and B represent- 

 ing the most vigorous acid and basic molecules, while the con- 

 necting line represents a mass of molecules becoming successively 

 ° SS str °ngly acid and basic, until neutrality is attained at the 



