340 



THE AMFAUi AX NATL RALIST 



[Vol. LI 



multitiKles of invisible liypotlielical oi-o-anisins. and tlierefore contribute 

 nothing in the way of real advance. No valid o\idence for the existence 

 of these units e.xists. but if their existence were to be demonstrated wb 

 might well despair of gaining any actual knowledge of life. 



Wo liave in this passage a clear statement of tlie essen- 

 tiality of growth, as self-reclni)lic'ation of specific sub- 

 stance, in the lif<'-proce>>. Consideration of Child's re- 

 marks will show that the diriicultli- wlilch lie raises are 

 almost coin])letely dissolved as >nn\\ ;i> we postulate for 

 the biological rorpnxde.- the ])o\V('r ol' aiito.-alalysis. In 

 the light of our previous discussiou, it can not be claimed 

 that this is purely a verl.)al solution of the in'olilem, as we 

 have advanced definite reasons for l)elie\ing that auto- 

 c/italytic activity is a property of all chemical substances 

 whatsoever. u'i\'eii the a]')propriate chemicnreii vii-oiiiiieiit. 

 Siiiee t lie eii\ i roiiiiKMit of the chromatin particles lias heen 

 ma<le to <ifdei' l.y exolution, the force of (MiihlV crlticiMii^ 

 would seem to l)e nil. Moreover, he certainly underesti- 

 mates the importance of the facts which i)oint to an actual 

 corpuscular determination of vital functions. 



Tn view of this, it wouhl apix-nr a<lvisnhle to acce])t the 

 FJrniru(nrny<,nii;swrn^-' if th(-v w(MV clearly estab- 

 lished fads, and pi-.-.-M-d \n .-.Mindrr uhat hn-lliei- lii;l.l 

 can he tlirowii uim.h bioloub-al prolilem- bv the ruiicei.tion 

 of sperilie catah-i>. 



It i> well known thai in nianv ca^e^. at lea^l. the niiclen> 

 controU cell activity hy liiu-ratin- (mzvnie.^.'"' and the 

 mass activity of cell> in the foi-in of .s}.ecl(ie ti>sues has 



rectly cliemical. upon the ]>reseiicr in tlie-e tissues' of 

 specilic enzN ines. In the Held of uciiei-al adnlt )net;d)olism 

 the detei-niinative itnportan<-e of catalysis would ap|>ear 

 to be no longei- a matter of dehate. Aiialo-\ would lead 

 us to believe that the ^ame pr-iiriph- i^ el prime inipoi- 

 tance in the metal. olI>tn of deN'elopinent. 



In laying emphaH^ iip>ni tl .-ardinal iniportanr,. ,,f t he 



(1861), 4), C'). 



