The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-09-27

iron, with water, approximately make
up the silt.
He thinks any scientist who can
mix these chemicals In the right pre-
portions and under proper conditions
Vie very likely TO produce life.
The dividing line between animate
an inanimate matter is less sharp
skan Il has hitherto been regarded .
Prof. Schafer says. The possibility of
he production of living material Is
lot SO remote as has been generally
opposed
There are plenty OF scientists who
think that the first life on earth
came from chemical action, but they
believe that this happened at a par
ticular time In the earth's history
when conditions were exactly right.
and that such conditions do not exist
now and will never again exist.
Prof. schsfer, however, believes
that even now, In out Of the way cor
ners, inanimate matter 10 being trans.
formed by nature Into animate
things and that, " the scientists will
search properly, they will find this
process In operation.
"The evolution OF non-liviNg mat
ter into living substance has hap
pened more than once" he said, and
we can BY no means be sure that II
n not happeing now. When or where
spch change may first have occurred
and when and where 1t may still be
occurring are problems as difficult as
they are interesting"
I Prof. Schafer thinks that life origin
iated in slime, and that the first liv
lag thing looked, perhaps, like a tiny
drop of fluid This fluid was proto-
plasm," the basic substance OF which
ali living things are made. II drew
nourishment from Its surroundings
and formed itself into what We call
n cell" the smallest and most simple
organized OF living things. The cell
in time divided making two The div.
sion continued and cells were multi
piled until living things filled the
world. All life and growth still con
sist In the growth and division OF
cells.
Various kinds of cells appear ed.
made of the same basic fluid. Cells
deyeloped and came to live in 'ccl.
onies.' forming organisms, more and
more complex until at last the human
BODY was evolved and man had been
created.
BY Prof. Schafer's theory human
being Ia lust a collection OF living
cells in cooperation. Individual cells
are continually dying and new ones
are taking their places.
What we term our lie, he said
Us not q single property capable OF
being blown out like candle. but
II ID the aggregate of the lives OF
millions of living cells. II Is but a
short time since this cell constitution
was discovered. but tremendous
strides have been made in the realm
OF biology regarding the cell structure
OF plants and animals"
Death, to Prof Schafer, means only
that the supply OF oxygen to the It's
sue has been cut OF, and thus the
chemical action known as life Is
brought to an end. Death. he says
n not general; some OF the cells In
n body live long after the doctor has
declared the patient dead.
The cells OF a human body are az
WAYS fighting to live. These cells arc
constantly combating the microbes
OF disease. and the results OF an III
ness depend on which are the strong
er in the battle-the cells Of the bod
VT the microbe cells. In the end the
hostile cells triumph.
Prof. Schafer's beliefs have reused
all Europe, and a storm OF criticism
from all sides IL beating about him
Religious leaders are particularly
bitter against him. but he has declinef
20 make replies TO their arguments