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In all growth we have a process essential and peculiar to 
all life, which is confined exclusively to the living, which does 
not characterise any form of non-living matter whatever. But 
groivtli is but one of several vital phenomena absent in all 
non-living, present in every kind of living. It has been 
asserted, and is now ordinarily taught, that crystals grow. 
Between the so-called growth of a crystal and the actual 
growth of a particle of living matter there is, however, no 
true analogy. 
Herbert Spencer, strange as it may seem, affirms that 
crystals grow, and that non-crystalline masses of various kinds 
grow. He declares that the accumulation of carbon on the 
wick of an unsnufied candle is an example of growth. On the 
other hand, he states that the living shoots from a growing 
potato are not an example of growth. Now I desire to direct 
your attention to this part of Herbert Spencer’s work because 
he endeavours to convince his readers of the essential com- 
munity of nature between organic growth and inorganic 
growth.” There, will be found some of the very remarkable 
inferences upon which his system of evolution in part rests, 
and which may be clearly proved to be erroneous. Indeed, 
not a few of the assertions he makes may be answered by a 
direct contradiction, with advantage to the cause of truth. 
Non-living things do not grow, as he affirms, while all 
living thiugs and every form of living material docs grow, 
although, he says, with respect to a living plant, that its increase 
is not growth. The case of the potato, which he affirms not to 
be growth, is really as good an instance of growth as can be 
obtained in nature. Now, if I can persuade any disciple of 
Herbert Spencer to explain and defend his utterances in the 
first two pages of this chapter of part ii. on the Inductions 
of Biology,” I think much advantage would result. A 
careful examination of this chapter will enable any intelli- 
gent person to see how the idea of community of nature 
sought to be established between the living and the non- 
living is defended by this author. The so-called growth of 
the non-living masses differs absolutely from the only true 
growth which is peculiar to the living world, but universal in 
it. Now vital growth has never been explained to this day, 
and cannot be explained on chemical or mechanical princi- 
ples, or imitated in the laboratory. The growth of the 
most minute particle of living matter is, as I have stated, 
a vital process, and is due to the operation of a force or 
power absolutely distinct from ordinary energy and from every 
form of force of non-living matter. Every kind of aggregation 
is absolutely distinct from growth, and does not involve the 
