On the Origin of Life. By Lionel S. Beale, 
85 
Erroneous conclusions of many kinds have been employed as 
facts in support of abiogenesis. When one finds that it is believed 
that fungi may be developed from oil-globules and other living 
organisms of a much higher type, produced without parents out of 
organic matter, one fails to see any limit to the support that may 
be gained to the cause. Yolumes of facts and arguments hitherto 
advanced in favour of abiogenesis may be republished without in 
the slightest degree modifying the real state of the case. What is 
now required is well-devised experiment, and that is all. No resus- 
citation of old arguments and doubtful facts, however ably the task 
is performed, will in the slightest degree increase the cogency of 
experimental proof, and in the absence of new experiment such facts 
and arguments will avail nothing. 
I think we may be satisfied that before long the advocates of 
spontaneous generation will have to rely upon the production of the 
lowest organisms only. The only view in any way tenable at this 
time is, that such organisms as bacteria are the only ones that can, 
under any arrangement of conditions possible to an experimental 
inquirer, be formed anew, and that these alone, at any period of the 
world's history, sprang direct from the non-living. All are of 
extreme minuteness, many of the forms being so very small that 
they could not be identified with a magnifying power of less than 
eight hundred diameters. These are the smallest, simplest, and 
probably lowest forms of life known. That multitudes do now spring 
from pre-existing forms is absolutely certain, for the process can be 
seen. Whether some spring direct from the non-living is the 
question. Those that are supposed to be formed anew are very like 
those that have had a progenitor, and from those supposed to have 
been produced anew, forms exactly like those derived from un- 
doubtedly pre-existing forms result. It cannot be pretended that 
new forms of existence are produced anew. No matter how the 
conditions are varied, the living forms supposed to result resemble 
known hving forms, and give rise to forms of the same kind. 
But, as I have before remarked, the question of the origin of 
bacteria can be only determined by experiment. All irrelevant 
considerations in favour of abiogenesis ought now to be left in 
abeyance. The assumed de novo origin is contrary to what goes 
on throughout the whole kingdom of nature, and the only exception 
which there is the remotest possibility of establishing is the spon- 
taneous origin of some of these lower forms of life. While, there- 
fore, it is allowable to permit ourselves to be influenced by general 
evidence against a new and exceptional doctrine, which a few 
observers seem very anxious to establish, we may fairly insist that 
only evidence of the most convincing and demonstrative kind should 
be accepted in its support. As regards the validity and reliability 
of the most recent experiments for and against the doctrine, I offer 
