118 PROFESSOR LIONEL BEALE^ F.R.C.P., F.R.S.^ ON THE 



gradual increase of a crystal by matter being deposited on its 

 outer surface from its solution, there is no analogy. In cjroivth, 

 the matter which is to contribute to any increase must be 

 dissolved, and the solution must pass into the very substance of 

 the matter that lives, where only can life-power be imparted to 

 the new matter, and certain of its constituent substances be 

 caused to live. To this mode of the production of living matter 

 in all living nature, there does not appear to be an exception. 

 The necessity of absolute contact between living and non-living, 

 seems to be essential for the communication of life to matter, and 

 thus only, does life of any kind become temporarily immanent 

 in matter. I regret to say that by some eminent teachers 

 having great authority, children and students have been taught 

 that living growth is comparable with the addition of non-living 

 particles layer after layer to non-living matter. Crystals grow, 

 says Herbert Spencer, but neither crystals nor any things that 

 do not live, grow. 



Increase, and growth are two very different processes, and the 

 physical aggregation and deposition of non-living matter 

 adduced as examples of groivth, have nothing in common with 

 that wonderful process, which occurs in the living world only. 

 See Herbert Spencer, " The Principles of Biology." Eevised and 

 enlarged edition, vol. i, page 135, " Groivth^ But neither the 

 author nor one of his followers, nor any fellow of the Eoyal 

 Society seems inclined to consider with me, this important 

 matter. This question of the nature of growth being closely 

 related to that of the nature of life, involves the consideration 

 of the great principles by which all life is distinguished from all 

 non-life. Growth as already stated, occurs in the living matter 

 only. 



The action of all our sense organs and of the motor 

 phenomena of all organisms from the very lowest simplest 

 living forms, up to man himself — Touch, taste, smell, sight, 

 hearing and the action of other wonderful sense-organs in nature, 

 as well as all active movements in a living body, depend upon 

 the health and growth of its living matter. These and many 

 other questions of the kind, were beyond the means of investi- 

 gation of the wisest and most thoughtful of the men of past 

 time, and have not yet been adequately explained by contem- 

 porary science. 



During the last century, very ancient doctrines of life were 

 revived and advocated with more zeal than discretion. Not 

 long since, we were again assured that modern scientific 

 investigation had confirmed the doctrines of Epicurus and 



