300 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
Achromatin (Fleming). It appears that there is a continual chemical 
action going on between these two substances, the manifestations 
of which are called life. The way in which these chemical actions 
may produce assimilation and growth can be easily explained by 
Van Hensen’s hypothesis, which was, however, meant to explain 
spontaneous generation. 
Let us assume, as an illustrative example, that the chromatin, 
which we call B, is different from the achromatin A, by each 
molecule of it containing more carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen than 
A, in the following manner :— 
BL? Shoat eS SN oe 
It we further assume that B cannot be oxidised by ordinary oxygen, 
and that B and A together can where they touch disassociate car- 
bonic acid by the aid of sunlight, the following chemical actions 
may take place :— : 
A+B ae 2(C Oz) a (A + C,O3) a (B a QO). 
The Oxygen set free by the decomposition of C O»2 in a nascent 
state oxidises B, which is not influenced by ordinary oxygen. 
B + O may now be a chemical compound, which can be oxidised 
by ordinary oxygen and take up two more atoms of it, so that we 
have :— 
Biz 3 O 
At the same time we may assume that O, replaces (CO3;N2Hs) 
Carbonate of Ammonia, a substance which is very often produced 
in connection with the oxidation of organic compounds. We 
would then have— 
B + O3 = CO3N,He = |B -= CN,He 
This is, according to a first assumption, nothing but A :—By the 
action of carbonic acid and oxygen, with the aid of sunlight, a new molecule 
of A is produced by B. Let us now assume that A + C2Oz3 (derived 
from A by the disassociation of carbonic acid as above) absorbs 
from the surrounding water nitrate of calcium; we will have— 
as C,O3 a3 N»O,Ca He Ou: 
The calcium is precipitated (skeleton of Foraminifera!) as 
carbonate of lime. 
A+C.203 + N2OgCaHsO,y4 - CO3Ca= A+ CNeHe + Or 
The ten oxygen are atoms exhaled and 
A aii = 
is left. In this way a new molecule of B has been produced together with 
a calcareous skeleton, whilst oxygen has been exhaled. In this 
way A may continually produce B and the chromatin continually 
produce achromatin. 
The problem of assimilation is solved. Protoplasm does not 
take up different compounds and turn them into protoplasm, but 
the protoplasm itself consists of two different substances, one of 
which always produces the other—a mutual formation of fresh 
molecules. . 
Nore.—Owing to pressure on our space all Meetings of Societies and Reviews 
have to be left out of the current number, They will appear in our next issue, 
