Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-28

rated solution; because not the slightest
trace OF granulation could be found. Note.
therefore, there Is no question of germs or
cells being suspended in the solution.
CD. Remember, we are now looking at
engagements up to 10000 times. From the
commencement of capitalization we see a
little globule detach itself from the uniform
mass. 1t Is easily recognized, because 1t
| gives refraction index different from that
| of the liquid observed
90. Let us study this globule. Its In
terror reveals light petroplasmic net
work. which shows the analogy which ex-
lists between the formation of vegetable and
| animal cells, on the one hand, and the
| formation of mineral cells on the other.
During all the phenomena of indirect divi-
sions of animal and vegetable cells. we see
a light network resembling marvelously this
petroplasmic network, which forms when
the mineral matter (the SALTY passes from
the period of solution to the pre-crystalline
| period
| go. Next we see appear in the petro-
| plasmic network little obscure points,
which Won Schron calls PREREQUISITES. OBJ
served under immense enlargement are
| seen to exist inobscure matter, called dsu-
| terolitoplasm, and around the further
| edges lighter matter, called protolito-
| plasm. Won Schron says that the forma-
| ton of the crystal results from these two
What are they? The bedrock matter of
| life?"
Changing Form.
| "All we know is that there seems to be
| struggle between these two substances
which constitute the petroblaste. and in this
| struggle 1t happens that the globule
changes form by a ring-like enlargement.
Next the ring becomes deformed, and forms
itself into angle which Won Schorn calls
the primitive dominant angle, because 1t
gives the direction of the future crystal.
Soon after there forms a second angle in
front of the first, which is called the dag
onal angle. Then secondary angles form
between them. The axis of the crystal
(Which was supposed to have no real exist
ence, but to be ideaD exists. 1t unites the
| two angles. primitive and diagonal"
THAT sounds all right for a study of
crystal forming, said some one, "but
where does the life come in?'
These young crystals, whose formation
we have observed, can move themselves,
develop and reproduce themselves" said
the man from Naples. "And the most curl
Gus thing is that they reproduce themselves
in three ways, like vegetable and animal
beings very different from each other. ta}
You will see very young crystal break
into two individuals and rap dly move away
from each other by rotary movement. CD
The PREREQUISITES develop; arriving at the
surface of the crystal they continue to de-
velop, and at last detach themSelveS-and go
away. And (c) little crystal forms itself
in the interior of the mother crystal, comes
to the surface and makes off in a rapid
rotary movement"
What other functions of life have they?'
They eat each other. If during their
growth two young crystals meet, the weak
est disappears absorbed by the stronger.
Also they get sick. Won Schron has CLASH
fed fifteen kinds of diseases they are sub
ject to. They may be killed also. All old
crystals are fossils
Where do these little globules these
petro-cells come from? What is their
germ? The microscope shows the salt
solution in which they form to be abso-
lutely homogeneous, with no germs sus-
pended in it,
Won Schron, asked this question, by
Milesi, professor in the University of Rome,
replied:
Spontaneous generation, often reaf
firmed in our times, had never been suscep-
tible of actual proof But the appearance
of real cells in homogeneous solutions of
salts now becomes its most evident proof,
because in following in these saline solu-
tons the whole development of the petro-
cells we can find no germ, no germ at all,
even under the greatest engagements.
Perhaps life comes from the molecular"
This was said to Won Schron, who an
swered:
Evident Proof.
Spontaneous generation presents itself in
these salt solutions in two different forms,
as spontaneous cellular generation on the
one hand, and as spontaneous individual
generation on the other.
I'D The spontaneous cell-generation is
demonstrated by the fact that the cells
come into being in homogeneous amor
deprived of every cellular trace.
'(2) Spontaneous individual generation is
proved by the fact that this same liquid
gives being TO the individual crystal, and
that without the pre-existence of that indi-
vidual because If we go back to the epoch
before the solution is made (before the wa
ter received the salt to the saturatlon
point we see that all individual crystals
have melted into the homogeneous solution.
In word, the pre-existing individual crys-
tai, after the solution forms, has become
Dir >iI nod
invisible where before it was visible, a po-
tential individual where it was before an
individual in fact, yet keeping always de-
termined hereditary qualities.
Still More Remarkable.
'It is certainly wonderful, the individual
crystal which disappears, dissolves, to re-
appear in its primitive form. But more re-
markable still that this phenomena of dis
appearance and rebrth may be continued
indefinitely, and each time we verify, as
the initial fact, the appearance of the fill
form petropiasm on which and In winch the
crystal is born,
''AlI this" concludes Won Schron, sol
EMMY affirms spontaneous generation, and
my incontestable methods demonstrate the
existence of real solutions to start with,
and not suspensions in which the petro-
blastes, petro-cells or germs OF crystals
could be non-dissolved and in suspension.
All this sort of thing has no existence for
me- no more than has the molecule itself,
which would have yielded to my enlarge
ments pushed to 100000 times! Why, we
can see the first elements of petroplasmlc
formation when the solution passes from
the homogeneous and amorphous state to
the pre-crystalline stated!
We were silent for time. Then up
spoke the man from Naples again:
Now l give my own idea. All this ex-
plains In a way the strange experiments OF
Prof Bose of Calcutta, who communicated
them in 1900 to the congress OF physics OF
Paris and afterward to the Royal Society OF
London. They have since been published In
a book with numerous strange photographs.
..These experiments had to prove the re-
sponsiveness of metals to stimulation ana
poisoning Prof. Bose said, also, that met
ais behave as il they were alive
'WelI now, all minerals being or crys-
talline formation Except few substances
yitrified under great heat it results from
the discoveries Of Won Schron that all min
erals are formed of colonies of beings which
are either alive or have lived.
"Each individual of the colony acts IN
manner that defends the mass; but, all the
same the interior activity of metals on
which Bosses experiments are based must
he looked on. 1ot as produced by the mass
as a mass, but by the individuals Wnicn
cor stitute it!' sIEHLiS1