Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-30
that was u,aintained believe by every

that was maintained believe by every
writer and speaker in the Association,
was the germ theory. The disease is inn
ported; it spreads only from centres in
to which it has been imported; and
it cannot live in low temperature.
These were some of the data that were
accepted for the inference that the dis
ease was produced by living germs or
animalcule. And so / think lmay say
that to this theory the Health Associa-
ton of the United States has as body
committed itself.
Now, while we must admit that this
theory in itself furnishes no proof
either for or against the theory Of evolu-
tion-while it is, no doubt, true as DIR.
Maclagan remarks Germ Theory, &C.,
p. q "that one may hold the evolution
theory of life and yet be believer In
! the germ theory OF disease; we yet
cannot but feel that this theory goes
quite a distance in weakening that OF
evolution. These germs, be it noticed,
are not claimed to be generated dc moro
in the disease-they are imported. And
while we are not warranted to say abSo-
| lutelv that they are not spontaneously
generated in the country to which they
are indigenous, it is well established
and recognized fact that they are repro
ductive and very prolific; and therefore,
as far as this fact is concerned, they are
proof of the truth of the old doctrine
ou,pe ri,gtm er riro And the fact that
most of the strongest advocates OF spon-
taneous generation are antagonists OF
this theory, while those who defend the
'Gife from life" doctrine are its support
ers. gives us increased confidence in
the idea that the decision upon
this question has very strong
and close bearing on the wider ques-
ton of evolution. Witness, for instance,
the efforts of Dr. Bastian as an example
of the former, and those of DIR. Lionel
| ;. Beale of the latter. And 1t Is known
| TO all readers who are interested in these
subjects that the experiments OF Tyndall
are as conclusive as anything could well
be against the theory of spontaneous
generation. And while it is true that
| there are some antagonists OF Spontan-
eous generation, as Tyndall himself, who
! are also evOlutiOnists, 1t Is no less true
that the large majority OF such are OPP
posed TO evolution, or accept 1t only to
a limited extent. And surely if absO-
! lutelv dead matter has not nOw the
power of spontaneous generation, there
is no warrant for the inference that it
ever had such power. On the nebular
| hypothesis were not the atoms OF the
original matter subjected to as great a
heat as was the liquid in Tyndall's TASKS,
an account of which We have in the
Popular Science Monthly, vol. II, PIP.
47G-59.-2. And ii actual expert
ments proved the latter to have
lacked generative power, we fail
to see the warrant for the sweeping in
ference OF the celebrated Belfast Adj
dress" that we can discern" i'll the
primitive matter "the promise and po-
tency of all terrestrial life" Surely this
is not reasoning "from the known to
the unknown" Asst was necessary that
that heated liquid in order to its revivi-
fication should be again impregnated
with living germs so was it necessary
that the .'star-dust" that by assump-
ton had been incandeScent, in order
that it might have any potency" OF
life, should be impregnated by some
life-making power. This is a clear in
ference of induction. And this is an es-
sential part of "the Theistic Conception
of the Universe" for this lite-making
power we call God. j. q. y.