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the gunpowder, and of the force of the shot. Now the gunpowder has force, 
which is the power of propelling the shot ; but the shot has no force at all — 
it has only energy ; that is to say, the shot has the power, when propelled, of 
effecting destruction by dealing a heavy blow ; but it has no force. That is 
merely one of a thousand different examples that might be given of the 
erroneous application of the term “ force ” ; “ force ” should be limited to 
that which produces energy. But what I wanted to point out was, that Mr. 
Wheatley, in speaking “ of the rest of the forces named by Mr. Grove — heat, 
light, electricity, magnetism, and chemical affinity,” — has fallen into the error 
of confounding force with energy. What Mr. Grove speaks of as forces are 
certainly not forces, but the results of force. But the author says : “ There 
are others which he does not name — air and water, for example ; both natural 
forces of great influence.” Now what idea he can have of force as comprising 
the qualities of air and water, I am at a loss to conceive. I cannot imagine 
what definition of force can be given to include air and water. I think that 
is a little oversight on the part of the author. But the paper is a very 
excellent one, and it contains much sound argument. As the subject before 
us is “ Life and its Origin,” I may now make a few remarks on Professor 
Huxley’s paper, which is entitled “ On the Physical Basis of Life,” and I will 
endeavour, in a few words, to give you an idea of the substance of that paper. 
Professor Huxley begins by stating that “ protoplasm,” which he translates 
into “ physical basis of life,” is the material from which all organized beings 
are formed. He is quite right in stating that that protoplasm, or physical 
basis of life, consists of these inorganic elements — oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, 
and nitrogen. He is also correct in stating that animals do not possess the 
power of forming protoplasm from those inorganic elements, while that power 
is possessed by the vegetable kingdom. It is also true, as he states, that 
a solution of carbonate of ammonia, or smelling-salts, contains in itself all the 
elements necessary for the formation of protoplasm ; but certainly no animal 
could live upon a solution of smelling-salts. (Laughter.) No animal has the 
power of combining the inorganic elements which are found in the solution of 
smelling-salts into that material called protoplasm, which is the foundation of 
animal and vegetable existence ; but plants do possess that power. A plant 
would grow in a solution of carbonate of ammonia, and would combine the 
protoplasm necessary for its development from the elements contained in that 
solution. But Professor Huxley then goes on to argue that the formation of 
protoplasm and the formation of organized beings from protoplasm is equally 
the result of natural forces as is the formation of water from its constituents, 
oxygen and hydrogen. He states the well-known fact that if oxygen and 
hydrogen gases are mixed together in certain proportions, and an electric 
spark is passed through them, an explosion takes place ; and the only residue 
is a small quantity of water, exactly equivalent in weight to the gases which 
had previously existed. He goes on to say that by a certain reduction of 
temperature the water thus formed will become solid ice ; and the gist of his 
argument is, that the formation of organized beings from the protoplasm — 
VOL. IV. O 
