524 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol. XLI 



when he crossed the Rubicon, Ave should have reconstructed Caesar, 

 body and soul. The artificial Csesar would have the same sensations, 

 aspirations, and ideas as his predecessor at the Rubicon. Both con- 

 sciousness and life, therefore, are the expression of definite conditions to 

 determine which is the object of scientific investigation. 



Professor Verworn here ascribes as a cause of consciousness an 

 unknown arrangement of atoms. A more conservative opinion has 

 been expressed by an American biologist, as follows,^ — " The work 

 of physiologists has been so devoted to the physical and chemical 

 phenomena of life that the conviction is widespread that all vital 

 phenomena are capable of a physical explanation .... Let us give up 

 the ineffectual struggle to discover the essential nature of consciousness 

 until we can renew it with much larger resources of knowledge." 



In regarding the construction of a living cell as a complete Utopia, 

 Professor Yenvorn differs from Professors Le Dantec and Cressou, 

 The former writes,^ — "Our knowledge of colloids is still so recent 

 and rudimentary, that we ought not to expect to see the making of a 

 cell accomplished soon; but it will come some day by careful analysis, 

 permitting a rational synthesis .... The scientific world today is so 

 prepared for the discovery that the premature announcement of spon- 

 taneous generation in gelatine submitted to the action of radium 

 surprised no one. . . .It is not necessary for an enlightened mind to see 

 protoplasm made to be convinced of rlic al)sen(e of imy essential 

 difference, — -any real discontinuity, hciwvcii liviiio; and dead matter." 



Professor Cresson,^ after quoting Hudiiicr that "doiibth^ss some 



"Such a hope is at least sonicwliat reasonable and prolmble." \Vhen, 



known to be realized at ]m>s(Mn. and that tlie conditions in the past 

 when life arose are eriuall> unknown, one is inclined to accept Professor 



It is unnecessary to refer further to Dr. Le Hantec's volume, which 

 was ]mblishc>d some months ago in English, and has been fre(|uently 

 reviewed. Dr. Troson's more nncnt volume is a simple introduction 

 to naturali.stic philo.soph\ . The autlior describes the development 



'Minot, C. S. The pn.Mrn, m <nn~. i.HiMiess in its ijiological aspects. 



