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fruitful matters for discussion, and we shall now be glad to hear the remarks 
of those who have any information to contribute. I hope visitors will on 
this occasion consider themselves as members, and I will first ask Dr. Lionel 
Beale to favour us with some remarks. 
Professor Lionel S. Beale, M.B., F.R.S. — I am here to-night as a visitor 
only, and in that capacity it affords me great pleasure to offer a few remarks 
on the paper which has been read to us this evening. It is difficult, however, 
to know how to speak upon a subject so vast and extensive, and one can 
scarcely make up one’s mind as to which particular part of it can be 
dealt with at the present moment, and in the limits allowed, with the 
greatest advantage. I must say that I have listened with the greatest 
pleasure to Dr. Wallich’s remarks. I agree with almost every word he has 
said, with one or two trifling exceptions ; particularly in reference to his latter 
remarks. I will, however, with your permission, now direct attention to 
another part of the subject, which is perhaps the most important of all. I 
propose to offer a few remarks on the view taken by Professor Huxley and 
other scientific men, both here and on the Continent, in reference to the very 
important question of the transition from the non-living to the living. I am 
quite sure we shall agree that this is really the kernel of this most interesting 
subject. We are constantly told of the gradual passage from the non- 
living to the living, and the formation of a living thing is often spoken 
of as if the process were something like the change which takes place 
in the formation of crystals. Most authorities who support the Material- 
istic hypothesis draw a parallel between the formation of the lowest forms 
of living matter and crystals. Now, it must occur to every one who has at 
all considered the subject of crystallisation, that although there may be 
great difficulty in explaining the exact nature of the process, yet, neverthe- 
less, it is well known that when a certain material is dissolved in fluid 
under certain circumstances, and the solution becomes concentrated, crystals 
are formed. Every tyro in chemistry has, probably, performed the experi- 
ment with common salt; and every such tyro, after having crystallised 
common salt, has re-dissolved it, and re-crystallised it again and again ; and, 
if he were to go on crystallising and dissolving to the end of time, he vrould 
only produce crystals of the same form and the same chemical composition. 
Now, let him try to do this with regard to a living organism. The living 
organism is there. We know that every particle of living matter has come 
from a pre-existing living particle ; but let us endeavour to take ourselves 
back to the time when there existed only the non-living, the inorganic 
matter out of which the living had to be formed according to a method, 
as is affirmed, somewhat resembling that of crystallisation. The chemical 
compounds that form the living matter — oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and 
carbon — are supposed to come together in obedience to certain attractions 
and affinities which these primitive particles possess, but of which we know 
very little ; but let us suppose a living thing is formed. Let us imagine 
the particles brought together in the manner supposed, and that a particle 
of living matter makes its appearance. We examine this particle, and try 
