
INAUGURAL ADDRESS, 33 
definition of protoplastin, and therefore the same purpose 
would be served by restricting the former word to the ideal - 
living matter.* 
With respect to the derivatives from protoplasm, how- 
ever, the word ‘‘bioplast,” for the anatomical unit of living 
matter, seems more convenient than the corresponding 
word protoplasm-mass, for it was thought by Sharpey that 
the properly corresponding word ‘protoplast’? was not 
available in physiology, being already taken up in literature 
for such a widely different signification. More recently, 
however, Hanstein,t Schaarschmidt and others, have 
taken to the use of it in spite of that objection. Hickel’s 
word, ‘‘ plastid,’ may also be conveniently used for the 
anatomical living unit. 
The word protoplasmic should be used as synonymous 
with the words vital and organised. I formerly thought 
that Schwann’s word, ‘‘metabolic’’ should be used to 
designate the changes of composition taking place in the 
living matter, in contradistinction to the word chemical as 
applied to such changes in the laboratory; but I think 
now that the word protoplasmic should be the word 
* The author proposes to admit of a hypothetical material compound or 
group of compounds, and as such to give the hypothetical name of ‘proto- 
plastin’ to that single albuminous substance, or that group of several allied 
albuminates, which according to our present knowledge or rather assump- 
tions—make up the truly active mass of the protoplasm body, and which at 
present seems alone fitted to be the bearer and starting point, and the only 
palpable material source of the vital functions and nisus (Triebe).”—Hanstein. 
Ziige aus der Biologie des Protoplasmas, p. 10. 
+ The author thinks proper to designate as ‘protoplast’ any protoplasm- 
mass which it is desired to understand and present as a whole, an organised 
individual or, so to speak, as an active personality; and where such temporarily 
or permanently, e.g. as a swarm-cell, asserts and maintains an independent 
existence it should be named ‘monoplast.’ In the same sense the coalescence 
yo 
of several mono- or proto-plasts into a whole may be called ‘symplasts. 
Hanstein (Op. cit., p. 9). 
