The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

outcome OF ms lAVeSt lapors W pTeSerueu III
q volume entitled The Evolution OF Life
E. P. Duttcn 4 Coz.
DR.. Bastian explains in an Introduction
vhy he rejects the phrase Spontaneous
generation" In the first place the phe-
nomena hitherto referred to under this
name would he no more Spontaneous
thar ara any others which take place in
accordance with natural laws. In the
second place the phrase is quite inadequate,
Since under IL, IL retained. would have 10
be included two sets Of phenomena which
In the present day ought to he discrimi-
mated carefully from each other. Many
who have written on the subject Of -spon-
taneous generation" have failed 10 APP
preciate the full extent Of the difference
that exists between the origin OF living
things from not living materials (arche-
biosis) and their production from the sub
stance of preex listing living things. This
difference. which is so little dwelt upon by
some, assumes in the minds of others IN
overwhelming importance. These persons
might admit the possibility of living things
arising by previously unknown methods
from preexisting living things (hetero-
genesis, hut regard the origin Of living
things from not living materials as alto
gether impossible.
We are reminded in the same introduce
ton that the general views entertained
concerning life-its nature or the meaning
70 be attached to il al a term-exercise no
small influence in producing a diversity
In the point OF view of different writers in
oarorl IN arohahinaia Sfafapnanfa Whiph
would appear TO many to be consistent only
with a belief in archebiosis are. when con-
sidered in conjunction with the general
views of the writers, often found not to
warrant any such conclusion. BY the
Guthor Of the boob before us. however.
the term Heterogeneous is always used
as the class name for processes by which
living things arise from the matter Of pre-
existing organisms belonging to a totally
different species. When such a process
occurs it is, he submits, a matter of alto
gether secondary importance whether the
NATURALIZATION of a portion of the matter
Of an organism with power of independent
d~evelopment) takes place during the life
OF such organism OF after it's death, since
the death of any Of the higher organisms
does not at once entai the death of the mat
ter entering into its composition. Its con-
stituent parts continue to live for a time,
and it is but gradually. at different inter-
walls, that they lapse into the condition Of
mere dead matter. When this stage comes,
when the living substance In dead. we still
nave to do with matter once organic, COM
posed of highly complex molecules, though
now IL il soluble in water. When such
matter. however. has given up its semi
solid form and has undergone solution it
10 in no sense. il we are to speak in accord
anoe with views commonly received. to be
regarded as living; SO that IL in a solution
thus formed the evidence we're TO point to
the de moro origin therein OF living units
we might quite le~gitimately speak Of it as
one process Of archebiosis. For although
the matter in solution may have once en-
tered into the constitution of living things
IL is now in the ordinary acceptation OF the
term dead matter. IL is true that the
molecules in the organic solution are much
more complex and hat on this account il
might reasonably enough be considered
20 prove a more easy process TO bring about
a new life organization therein than in a
more simple saline solution. The principal
lesson hat we may learn from such a fact
would be that the process Of archebiosis,
which so many believe TO ave occurred
undoubtedly in the past when hitherto
there had been as yet no living thing on
the face Of the earth. ought to be much
more easy of occurrence in the present
day. when organic matter in solution is so
widespread over its surface.
In the present volume DR. Bastian does
not deal at all with heterogeneous beyond
this a~llusion 10 II In his Introduction. The
results Of five years of independent work
on that subject were published by him
some time & in his Studies in Hetero-
genesis" while portions of these results,
together with his views on the subject of
living matter generally, were embodied in
a popular form in his recently published
book on The Nature and Origin OF Living
Matter" Here he limits himself exclu-
sively to the problems connected with
archebiosis proper, or in other words to
the question Of the actual origin of life or
genesis Of living matter from not living
material He restricts himself further
TO a c consideration Of the evidence bearing