188a.] Distinctions between Organisms and Minerals. 149 
In February, 1878, M. Georges Fournier, of Paris, per- 
formed, in presence of Mr. W. Crookes, F.R.S., and of the 
present writer, some most remarkable experiments. By 
mixing together certain inorganic salts he produced pseudo- 
organisms which, in form and structure, might easily have 
been confounded with certain cryptogamous plants by any 
one who was not acquainted with their origin. In the belief 
that M. Fournier was continuing his experiments we con- 
sidered it a duty not to make his results known in a prema- 
ture and necessarily incomplete state. It was, therefore, 
with regret and surprise that we saw in the “ Comptes 
Rendus ” for January 2nd, 1882, a memoir by D. Monnier 
and C. Vogt, a translation of which follows : — 
“ Figuredelements presenting all the characteristics of form 
belonging to organic elements, such as cellules, simple and 
with porous channels, tubes with sides, with septa, and with 
heterogeneous granular contents, may be produced artifi- 
cially in an appropriate liquid by the joint aCtion of two 
salts forming by double decomposition one insoluble salt or 
two such. The one of these salts must be dissolved in the 
liquid, whilst the other must be present in a solid form. 
These organic elements, cells, tubes, &c., may be pro- 
duced either in a liquid of organic or semi-organic source 
such as the saccharate of lime, or in an absolutely inorganic 
liquid, e.g., silicate of soda. Hence there can be no longer 
any question of distinctive forms characterising inorganic 
bodies on the one hand and organic on the other. 
The formation of such pseudo-organic figured elements 
depends on the nature, the degree of viscosity, and the con- 
centration of the liquids in which they are produced. Certain 
viscid liquids, such as solutions of gum arabic, or of zinc 
chloride, yield nothing of the kind. 
The form of these pseudo-organic products is constant 
with reference to the salts employed, as constant as any 
crystalline form of minerals. This characteristic form is so 
well maintained that it may even serve for the detection in 
mixtures of a minute proportion of a substance. 
The form of the artificial pseudo-organic elements depends 
principally on the acid which enters into the composition of 
the solid salt. Thus the sulphates and the phosphates pro- 
duce tubes, whilst the carbonates give rise to cellules. 
With some exceptions, such as copper, cadmium, zinc, 
and nickel sulphates, the pseudo-organic forms are only 
produced by means of substances which are found in real 
organisms. Thus the saccharate of lime produces organic 
forms, whilst those of strontia and baryta do not. 
