974 Organ; v/r Relations to Life. [December, 



tem and the fibrin of blood. They are also found in all cells 

 whether animal or vegetable. The base of the entire group is 

 known as proteine, so named from its remarkable power of assum- 

 ing different isomeric forms, of which it presents some thousand 

 or more. Proteine contains no sulphur nor phosphorus, and its 

 formula as given by its illustrious discoverer, Mulder, is, C 1S H,^ 

 N 4 O . Each of its units would thus be composed of 65 elemen- 

 tary molecules, the combined mass of which would be equal to 

 395 molecules of hydrogen. All the actual known substances of 

 this group have, therefore, more complex molecules than those 

 of this still, to a great extent, theoretical one. 



While the albuminoids possess none of the active properties of 

 the organic bases, they far exceed them in the power they have to 

 change their form, and adapt themselves to the needs of organized 

 beings. All properties in material bodies are the result of reac- 

 tions taking place in their molecular constitution when brought 

 into contact with other bodies. They are recognized only when 

 they directly or indirectly affect the senses. As a rule, the larger 

 their molecules, the more powerful their effects. In the case of 

 the albuminoids, with their comparatively enormous units of 

 aggregation, the entire substance is transformed with only slight 

 external influence, either of heat or chemical contact, and either 

 assumes new characters or breaks up into the simpler organic 

 compounds of which it is composed. 



The general law above stated, that in the progress of the evolu- 

 tion of matter from the simplest elemental state to the most com- 

 plex organic compound, there has constantly been increase in the 

 mass and decrease in the stability of the molecules, holds good 

 throughout, and to it may now be added a third principle, 

 obviously correlated with the above, and merely constituting a 

 corollary to it, that pari passu with these changes there has been 

 an increase in the activity of the properties manifested by the sub- 

 stances evolved. 



Although varying through wide degrees in this respect, all the 

 ' substances thus far mentioned possess sufficient stability to be re- 

 tained, handled, and examined, and to the ordinary observer they 

 present very much the same general appearance. While possess- 

 ing many special qualities distinguishing them from other bodies, 

 the albuminoids, as well as all the other organic compounds, ap- 

 pear to be and are incapable of any visible automatic movement 



