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and phosphates, but in a solution of tartrate of ammonia alone. " The 

 fact that this occurs shows not only that these simple saline substances 

 contain the elements necessary for the formation of living matter, but 

 that the passage must be comparatively easy from the saline mode of 

 collocation of the elements into that by which they are converted into 

 living protoplasm" (p. 18). Of course this is to prepare the reader 

 for heterogenesis ; but as these salts cannot generate, but only support 

 life ; so, without more proof than Dr. Bastian supplies, we do not see 

 how infusions of hay, &c, can generate it either. 



Recognising the fact that there is no "vital force" in the old sense 

 of the term, his object is to prove that "living units" can arise out of 

 solutions containing organic matter. " Such rudimentary forms of life 

 are to be regarded as resulting from the collocation of organic molecules 

 in peculiar modes, brought about by the expenditure of incident physical 

 forces" (p. 19). He adds in a note: "Living matter, like crystalline 

 matter, is only formable by a synthesis of its elements." So far it may 

 be true, but he ignores a fundamental difference. Crystals of any mineral 

 substance made to-day are identical with those made when the earth 

 first cooled. On the other hand, life has ever varied in its bodily forms. 

 "What determines molecular motion?" was Croll's question. No one 

 knows. It is constant with crystals, but cannot be foreseen in the 

 production of varieties and species in living beings. Life is a directing 

 agent, as Croll showed, guiding physical forces, but is not a force itself. 



Again, Dr. Bastian says : " Philosophically speaking, there can be 

 no abrupt line of demarcation between the living and the non-living." 

 But since no one has ever traced a path across the gulf, we think it is 

 unphilosophical to make an a priori assumption without a shadow of 

 proof. The fact that bodies are built up on organic food, which plants 

 make from the mineral kingdom, is no proof or ground for the assertion, 

 since there is nothing comparable to life in the mineral kingdom, 

 however much the forces may be common to all three kingdoms. 



Even if we take Haeckel's Monera, " naked, non-nucleated, structure- 

 less specks of protoplasm " (p. 26), they are alive, and it is life, not 

 the chemical materials or forces, which has to be accounted for. 

 But Dr. Bastian finds not only such simple things as bacteria and 

 monads to arise, but amoebae and ciliate infusoria by heterogenesis. 

 Even chlorophyll granules can be converted into animals ! 



How does the elementary "vital unit" arise? This cytode or plas- 

 tide, as some call it, begins as a " clear space among granules " in the 

 infusion ; subsequently it has a limiting boundary, it is filled with 

 bacteria, and it finally develops a nucleus and a cell-wall. The question 

 at once arises, "What caused the " clear space " ? Whatever the organism 

 turn out to be, was there not its "germ" present, though at that 

 stage invisible ? 



His first observation was made in 1871. He used a strong turnip 

 infusion, carefully filtered. " In from three to four hours faint and ill- 

 defined whitish specks, less than 7> 0 1 00 " diameter, made their appear- 

 ance " (p. 52). These develop into bacteria. 



May not this experiment supply the key to the whole problem, or at 

 all events to a very large part of it ? 



