The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-23

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BY PROF. WILHELM BOELSCHE.
At some early time, in a manner that
We do not understand clearly today de-
spite all our study, certain single, living
cell-beings appeared in the world.
These creatures, in consisting OF only
one cell each, resembled the bacteria.
amoebes and similar "infusoria" of to-
day in this characteristic
Each of these ceil-beings carried out
all the undertakings of simple life by it
self. It moved, multiplied Through prim-
tive fissure), betrayed certain sensa-
lions and took nourishment
The methods of this nourishment were
different. In one case inorganic, mineral
matter was taken in as we see it done
today among the plants; in the other
case, were taken in the shape OF other
cell-beings. as we see feeding done to-
day among the true animals. Both
methods are to be seen today among the
bacteria
Let Us remain with those single-celIs
that already had reached the point of
nourishinS themselves as animals" by
conquering other animals and weaker
single-cells and deyourlng them.
This process Of devOuring and the en-
tire process Of nutrition in such d sim
pie being proceeded without any organ
entirely without stomach or intestine.
Just as no single cell in our stomachs
has a stomach Of its own. so did that
single-ceu of the dim past lack a stom-
ach. 1t surrounded its food with its
u hole ielIv-ffl-a hoIrr -, bol
and digested it whole, something as a
drop of water will swallow tiny bit Of
red color and become permeated through
with it TIL it is red through and through
We can still see this primitive mode of
feeding in living animal-cels OF our
time
A PRlMORDIAL COMPACT
Then there came the first great advance
The primordial beings, hitherto strictly
solitary, came together here and there
and formed themselves into the very sim
plest forms of communication.
Let us assume that about a hundred of
such cell individuals formed "A clump.
Each of them previously had moved it
self forward in the water by lengtheninS
its soft body into pointed. thin thread
whose flimmering motions whirled the
tiny thing ahead. The newly formed
clump of communistic cell-creatures Also
needed such motion. So. as the cells COM
bine. each protruded its little fiIament-end
freely, and before long the first mutual
act of the clump was to achieve a certain
measure of motion. by which all the fla
nents We're swung in even tempo. Thus,
as last, the whole clump began to move
in a forward direction
1t was simple and natural result Of
this mutual act for the clump to acquire
the shape Of Il bladder. Each single-ceH
had to remain in touch with the outer
world for its own preservation. There
fore all of them crowded to the surface
Of the sphere; the inner portion remained
empty and hollow. and the bladder or
hollow sphere was created
\ cell-commUnity of TINS kind. forming
4 hallow sphere and moving mcrrily in
the water through the rhythmic motion of
each sinele-cell, is not a hypothetical /
thing, invented for the purpose OF illusua- /
ton. Such communities live today in .
fresh as well as salt waters
The sinsle-cell individuals Of this lit 1
tie. fast moving. social bladder dill not .
cling SO hard 10 its outer edge merely I
for the sake of motion The need of nour- /
ishment made it mandatory. Despite the .
new and close communion. each cell still
fed for itself. Each haa to fish for its
own nourshmont and digest il for itself
II cell had fallen out Of the outer cir
Gle into the inner part of the phere it
would have died miserably from hunger
THE FOOD PROBLEM FIRST So
LUTON.
And now We begin to see how the food
problem reaped the greatest benent from
this social community.
II lay not only in the fact that the
sphere could reach new feeding places
more quickly propelled as it was by unit
ed powers The chief gain lay in a spon-
tareous division Of labor
Before that. whenever a sincle-ceIi arch
beng obtained choice hit of food IT
would become torpid FOR while. 1t drew
is iilsment-end in and lay still In the
new community. too. whenever 4 single
ELL ate. it would fall into this digestive
,orpor. But now il was fast in the mass
hat moved as whole Even ii it was
Inactive itself. the sphere dragged it along.
So, even during its digestive sleep. it
oiled toward new food supply. avoided
dangers. in brief. enjoyed all the advan-
ages of motion.
In exchange. the torpid sinsle-ceu paid
certain tribute TO the contiguous cells
n return for their work Through The
lose crowding Of the soft cen-bodies il
'ecame inevitable that seine Of the di- .
rested juices from the fed cell should ,
low into the ncighboring cells.
Without its being "willed'' by any Of
hem. there began compulsory cooper {
ton. If four cells moved another cell {
round while it was torpid. they got some I
( the food absorbed by it in return. {
For a time this. the most simple OF all c
orms Of mutual ia cor. took place. now {
ere. row there. wherever and whenever
cell happened TO seize food. But grad
ally this cooperation became practically :
,evitable. The Bladder or sphere bored
s way through the water I'm straight
pe-one pole in front, one pole beAad- &