New-York tribune., 1875-12-25
FORM AND LIFE.


| 10 ths Editor Of the Tribune
SIR: Break an egg the white and the yok,
we are told are the Of the future chicken the
future chicken. But far science has yet shown.
each Is a In which certain trace Of the future
chicken found Whether this Ia 80 or not yet by
heat-a hens a furnaces-the fullhedged chicken Is
brought forth Why other form The object OF
| this paper is to answer that question.
| In the Autumn OF 1868 in London some Of the
beautiful Venetian glass made by Salyati at Murano.
| and while examining IL, IL occurred TO me that II
furnished an explanation OF the likeness Of child 10
parent There seems to be general notion nowadays
that force and matter interchangeable and that the
different proportions Of the inherent force the atoms Of
carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. for example, make q
combination them albumeD, for instance-Organio
absorbatiye We can conceive Of olots OF absOrbays
matter increasing bulk TIL they fall apart from their
own lack OF adhesiyeneSs, and 50 propagate Divers
conditions develop In them divers organs diversions
their organization, in ages developing more and moro
complicated beings; individuals in each generation In
herting the EXTREMIST complications OF the preceding
like father like But why like father lise soni
The why evident the Venetian glass student Tako
a molten stick OF glass, one end white the other red.
Double it upon itself Draw out the stick
formed, half red half white. TO the finest thread.
Examine it through a microscope. The white and
red are there distinct Double II again and
draw out tho thread stick formed to however at
tenuated hair Two whites two reds visible, and
on ad nfnitu. The relative relations OF the atoms OF
matter each other change. New relations
be formed but the old remain. Take figure, in plan
say a star; deposit point red glass, another
blue on another yellow, on another white, on another
green Fill around the points with black glass. When
molten and the whole Is fused together 1t will make one
stick OF glass which be, while ductle, drawn out to
the conceivable thread but break IL of anywhere
and examine the end OF the thread and the star will be
there. When the thread is extended by force acting
NJ its
the atoms Is unchanged Such is the experience with
Venetian glass such the experience with all ducties
such conceive to be the law Of homogeneous mat
ter The law would hold II the glass coorless.
but we could the fact. 1t would homo
ceneous stick OF glass 1t would be. But the relative
position Of its atoms would remain like the parent star,
though would not be made visible 20 IL with
the egg the within it, Its atoms all have tho
position Of those Of the parent from which it
secreted. Yet il may or be homogeneous mass,
and coorless the chicken in it, rather the chicken
that it is be invisible the when its points
all Of white glass.
Take minute portion OF the thread containing the
coored star and suppose the glass absorbatye and
absorbed from the atmosphere, other matter with
which in contact matter like itself II absorbed
equally all over-whch with like conditions In its parts
OF ITSELF and like conditions in its surroundings 1t must
do-then the almost invisible fine star in the minute
fragment of thread would grow to be large but similar
star, and ultimately obtain the size Of Its parent Tho
same would of bit OF the thread Of the cOlOrless
star the chicken in the egg into big chicken
The chicken invisible in it because Transparent color
less like the invisible star present in the white glass but
its several parts all there II grows at ali it must
grow to he like its parent.
Every part Of my body is alive. The blood drawn
from my is alye-organic. II set it away where il
will dry up too fast, it viii breed, or at least feed,
animalculB, maggots, &c, so live. am a collection Of
lives. But have an individuality, just the United
el of andt they
OF counties they OF townships peoples houses lands,
&C.. &c. Any part OF me, separated from me- goes on
living 1t may further separate dsintegrae into atoms
and separate organisms 1t does 1t rot, it may be
absorbed into other lives, Is the mothers milk But
only that which bears the impress of all OF
living like can fuse the stick Of glass containing
the star draw from thread OF the red the blue,
or white but only the thread drawn from every part
Of will contain the whole star only the secretion
the whole plant bears the impress OF the whole
pantony the secretion from the whole and fully deve
oped plant bearing the impress Of all of it, therefore, is
the seed or germ. That is the definition OF a seed or
germ in facta definition, 80 fur know, before
gwen.
The leaf organic II 1t falls II rots and Is usufrucu
1t cannot develop into anything. IL could only de-
velop into leaf and it is leaf already. leaf cannot
give forth leaves it stays leaf till it dies. so Of
bit OF the bark any other Bit larger smaller bear
ing only the impress OF part of the plant. But take
part bearing impress Of all the organs 1t grows to
display all the organs. Take the seed a branch 10
has all tho organs OF the plant hidden in it. IL
grow and the branch the seed the smallest form Of
branch containing all tho organs in its folds must grow
into the likeness of its parent 1t is like the minute bit
Of starcontainng glass, which could only grow III il
crew. into the bigger similar star.
Distance. space only relative. Finite mind cannot
follow into the infinite smalness Of the parts Of the STAR
in the thread so aenuated be invisible to which
we can conceive the glass drawn out the relations OF
| n0J H..
not change One asks Are all the oaks that grew
hidden In the first il there one Yes, just
casts from bas relief are hidden in the original
Only the secretions from the whole OF me the i'm
press of the whole of and develop into child
like Nothing less than cast from the whole bas
lief will reproduce the whole The cast OF arm. o
head foot will give the whole The law is unalter-
able, the result inevitable But changes may come now
conditions be added. may throw thread the
face OF the ba relief before taking cast and It's iul
press will he handed down by every cast from that
This for the transmission OF characteristics
| in beings-dey yelopment.
so, OF mental or moral Of physical characteristics.
The drawn from the whole OF will bear the
impress Of the whole Of me, my moral well physical
| characteristics. The secretion from part Of human
being will not make human being II requires the
ton from the whole of me, bearing the impress OF the
whole Of me- make a child like me-and just it will
have arm like mine. so it will bear the impress Of my
mental and moral characteristics As form the star in
the glass. form love you' in candy. Draw out
either while ductile thread. In One will always
still lind the star in the other, love you" Now IL
double the thread upon itself and catch in the mid
de and twisting II draw out in thread that
thread will be dOubly marked containing two stars,
two love yous"whch its section will show other
threads containing other devices may added and
combinations be added al indtm but the ori g.na de-
vice. the star. what not will always be there. Every
time 1t is doubled upon ITSELF receives addition.
the thread becomes complex. In certain
highly organized" Like becots Ike The complicated
beuctS sinule the conDlicatpd and LET