April 28, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



647 



have many similarities. The structure of 

 the seed, cell or nucleus is complicated, 

 else we should already have learned it. A 

 simple concrete example will serve to illus- 

 trate our point. An equimolecular mix- 

 ture of aluminum and potassium sulphates 

 in water will crystallize in a definite form 

 with a fixed proportion of water. By sub- 

 stituting ammonium for the potassium, we 

 obtain crystals of the same form, with the 

 same molecular proportion of water, yet 

 they are different. 



3. It is not difficult, in fact it is a com- 

 mon laboratory practice, to change several 

 factors, either singly, alternately or simul- 

 taneously, so that the body first obtained 

 resembles the parent in one or more ways 

 or even not at all; yet on changing back 

 one factor, the grandson resembles the 

 grandfather. 



The nucleus is made up of chemical 

 molecules which are dissimilar. "We know 

 this much of the albumen molecule, namely, 

 it is very large and complicated, contain- 

 ing from six hundred to a thousand or 

 more of the nineteenth century atoms. 

 They are combined in groups of variable 

 sizes. We have to deal, therefore, with a 

 system of several complicated components. 

 There, doubtless, is a point at which such a 

 system of definite composition may be held 

 in perfect equilibrium through any length 

 of time. If we add energy or take it 

 away, as, for example, heat, the speed of 

 the chemical reaction is altered. The reac- 

 tion velocity is often reduced one half by 

 a range of five degrees. One hundred de- 

 grees may cause it to fall to one millionth. 

 The slightest change in medium, as adding 

 or subtracting water, produces a marked 

 acceleration or retardation in the speed as 

 well as direction of the reaction. 



It may be urged that w'hen the nuclei 

 containing these systems are subjected to 

 certain influences, as heat or poisonous sub- 

 stances, they no longer germinate. The 



vital force was killed. "VVe may also poison 

 the dead catalyzing platinum and it is no 

 longer active. These things are no more 

 than we should expect. When a single 

 factor of a complicated system has been 

 changed, as readily happens through the 

 agencies mentioned, we have no right to 

 ask the same variation in the systems until 

 exactly the same components become con- 

 cerned in the former way. Ostwald puts 

 it thus: 'As disturbances accumulate, the 

 dissipative actions outweigh the accumu- 

 lative ones, and the organism goes out of 

 commission. ' 



With or without the energetics of Ost- 

 wald, the reasoning appeals to me. It of- 

 fers a logical explanation of nature, which 

 is growth. By adding, taking away or 

 varying the components in any system, we 

 may change from a simpler to a more com- 

 plex system, or vice versa. 



Bunge, discussing vitalism in physiologic 

 processes, has most eloquently said, "Many 

 centuries may pass over the human race, 

 many a thinker's brow be furrowed, and 

 many a giant worker be worn out, ere even 

 the first step be taken towards the solution 

 of this problem. And yet it is conceivable 

 that a sudden flash of light may illumine 

 the darkness." Science has no impossible 

 boundaries. "Science will continue to ask 

 and to answer even bolder questions. Noth- 

 ing can stop its victorious career, not even 

 the limitations of our intellect. This, too, 

 is capable of being made more perfect. 

 There is no rational ground for thinking 

 that the continuous progression, develop- 

 ment and ennoblement of type which has 

 been going on for centuries on this planet, 

 should come to an end with us. There w^as 

 a time when the only living creatures were 

 the infusoria floating in the primeval sea, 

 and the time may come when a race may 

 dominate the globe as superior to ourselves 

 in intellectual faculties as we are to the 

 infusoria. " 



