284 
Transactions of the 
rMonthly Microscopical 
L Juurnal, May 1, 1869. 
actually alive; and when obtained tliey do not possess the pro- 
perties or powers characteristic of the living matter. What, there- 
fore, can be gained by asserting that these things constitute hving 
matter ? What is the use of trying to make people believe and 
confess that there is no difference between a living thing and the 
same thing dead, when every one is perfectly satisfied that there is 
the very greatest difference ? 
And I must not omit to notice here a remark made by Mr. 
Herbert Spencer, which illustrates the extraordinary opinion enter- 
tained by him concerning the difference between living, growing, 
active, matter, and perfectly lifeless matter. " On the other hand, 
the microscope has traced down organisms to simpler and simpler 
forms, until, in the Protogenes of Professor Hseckel there has been 
reached a type distinguishable from a fragment of albumen only 
by its finely granular character."* Mr. Herbert Spencer should 
prepare a solution of albumen and a solution of " protogenes," and 
by careful evaporation he might obtain two extracts not distinguish- 
able from one another. Both would exhibit a " finely granular cha- 
racter," and thus the important fact that there was no difference 
whatever between the inanimate albumen and the inanimate "proto- 
genes " would be demonstrated. And as everyone is already pre- 
pared to admit that there is no difference between dead " proto- 
genes " and living " protogenes," we must of course accept the 
conclusion that the lowest forms of life are but forms of albumen. 
In this way " the chasm between the inorganic and the organic is 
being filled up," but it need scarcely be remarked, the operation 
is not likely to be completed for a short time. 
Notwithstanding the clever and subtle arguments which have been 
advanced in its favour, and repeated over and over again in almost 
every possible form, the new doctrine of life has exerted very little 
influence. It is impossible to convince thoughful persons that vital 
phenomena are physical and chemical phenomena, simply by assert- 
ing that they are so ; and no matter how energetically the doctrine 
may be advocated, it will not be received unless it is proved to be 
founded upon facts. In spite of all that has been said, the chemist 
has taught us little concerning the nature of the changes which 
take place when pabulum becomes totally changed and converted 
into living matter, or when the latter gives rise to some peculiar 
kind of formed matter. He has shown us, it is true, that certain 
substances resulting in the organism during the disintegration of 
formed matter may be prepared artificially in the laboratory ; but 
he knows as well as the physiologist, that their formation in the 
organism is conducted upon totally different principles, of the nature 
of which all are entirely ignorant. And it is childish to attempt, 
as some have done, to hide our ignorance by referring the actions 
* ' The Principles of Psychology,' p. 137. 
