THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
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that an organ (gonidia) should at the same time be a parasite, on the body 
of which it exercises vital functions ; for with equal propriety it might be 
contended that the liver or spleen constitutes parasites of the mammiferas. 
Parasite existence is autonomous, living upon a foreign body, of which nature 
prohibits it from being at the same time an organ. This is an elementary 
axiom of physiology. But observation directly made teaches us that the green 
matter originally arises within the primary chlorophyll— or phycochrom — bearing 
cellule, and consequently is not intruded from any external quarter, nor arises 
in any way from parasitism of any kind. The cellule at first is observed to 
be empty, and then, by the aid of secretion, green matter is gradually pro- 
duced in the cavity, and assumes a definite form. It can, therefore, be very 
easily and evidently demonstrated that the origin of green matter in lichens 
is entirely the same as in other plant s.” 
The same eminent authority in Regensburg “ Flora ” remarks “ As to the 
supposed algoid nature of gonidia, such an unnatural existence as they would 
thus pass, enclosed in a prison and deprived of all autonomous liberty, is not 
at all consonant with the manner of existence of the other algae, and that it has 
no parallel in nature, for nothing physiologically similar occurs anywhere else.” 
Krempelhuber has argued that there are no conclusive reasons against the 
assumption that the lichen- gonidia may be self-developed organs of the lichen 
proper rather than algae, and that these gonidia can continue to vegetate separately, 
and so be mistaken for unicellular algae. But there is one strong argument, or 
rather a repetition of an argument already cited, placed in a much stronger 
light, which is employed by Nylander in the following words : — “ So far are 
what are called algae, according to the turbid hypothesis of Schwendener, from 
constituting true algae, that, on the contrary, it may be affirmed that they have 
a lichenose nature, whence it follows that these pseudo-algae are in a systematic 
arrangement to be referred rather to the lichens ; and that the class of algae 
hitherto so vaguely limited should be circumscribed by new and truer limits.” 
Dr. Thwaites has communicated his views on one phase of this controversy, 
and these will serve to illustrate the question as seen from the mycological 
side. As is well known, this writer has had considerable experience in the study 
of the anatomy and physiology of all the lower cryptogams, and any suggestion 
of his on such a subject will at least commend itself to a patient consideration. 
“According to our experience,” he writes, “I think parasitic fungi invariably 
produce a sad effect upon the tissues they fix themselves upon or in. These 
tissues become pale in colour, and in every respect sickly in appearance. But 
who has ever seen the gonidia of lichens the worse for having the hypha 
growing amongst them ? These gonidia are always in the plumpest state, and 
with the freshest, healthiest colour possible. Cannot it enter into the heads of 
these most patient and excellent observers that a cryptogamic plant may have 
two kinds of tissue growing side by side without the necessity of one being 
parasitic upon the other, just as one of the higher plants may have half a 
dozen kinds of tissue making up its organisation ?” 
It appears to us that a great deal of confusion and a large number of 
errors which creep into our modern generalisations and hypotheses may be traced 
to the acceptance of analogies for identities. How many cases of mistaken 
identity has the improvement of microscopes revealed? This, at least, should 
serve as a caution for the future. Apart, however, from the “gonidia” — what- 
ever they may be— -is the remainder of the lichen a genuine fungus? 
Nylander writes : — “ The anatomical filamentose elements of lichens are 
distinguished by various characters from the hyphoe. They are firmer, elastic, 
and at once present themselves in the texture of lichens. On the other hand, 
