autobiography and selected essays-第31章

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certainly　possess　no　properties　but　those　of　ordinary　matter。　　And

out　of　these　same　forms　of　ordinary　matter；　and　from　none　which　are

simpler；　the　vegetable　world　builds　up　all　the　protoplasm　which

keeps　the　animal　world　a…going。　　Plants　are　the　accumulators　of　the

power　which　animals　distribute　and　disperse。



But　it　will　be　observed；　that　the　existence　of　the　matter　of　life

depends　on　the　pre…existence　of　certain　compounds；　namely；　carbonic

acid；　water；　and　certain　nitrogenous　bodies。　　Withdraw　any　one　of

these　three　from　the　world；　and　all　vital　phaenomena　come　to　an

end。　　They　are　as　necessary　to　the　protoplasm　of　the　plant；　as　the

protoplasm　of　the　plant　is　to　that　of　the　animal。　　Carbon；

hydrogen；　oxygen；　and　nitrogen　are　all　lifeless　bodies。　　Of　these；

carbon　and　oxygen　unite　in　certain　proportions　and　under　certain

conditions；　to　give　rise　to　carbonic　acid；　hydrogen　and　oxygen

produce　water；　nitrogen　and　other　elements　give　rise　to　nitrogenous

salts。　　These　new　compounds；　like　the　elementary　bodies　of　which

they　are　composed；　are　lifeless。　　But　when　they　are　brought

together；　under　certain　conditions；　they　give　rise　to　the　still

more　complex　body；　protoplasm；　and　this　protoplasm　exhibits　the

phaenomena　of　life。



I　see　no　break　in　this　series　of　steps　in　molecular　complication；

and　I　am　unable　to　understand　why　the　language　which　is　applicable

to　any　one　term　of　the　series　may　not　be　used　to　any　of　the　others。

We　think　fit　to　call　different　kinds　of　matter　carbon；　oxygen；

hydrogen；　and　nitrogen；　and　to　speak　of　the　various　powers　and

activities　of　these　substances　as　the　properties　of　the　matter　of

which　they　are　composed。



When　hydrogen　and　oxygen　are　mixed　in　a　certain　proportion；　and　an

electric　spark　is　passed　through　them；　they　disappear；　and　a

quantity　of　water；　equal　in　weight　to　the　sum　of　their　weights；

appears　in　their　place。　　There　is　not　the　slightest　parity　between

the　passive　and　active　powers　of　the　water　and　those　of　the　oxygen

and　hydrogen　which　have　given　rise　to　it。　　At　32　degrees

Fahrenheit；　and　far　below　that　temperature；　oxygen　and　hydrogen　are

elastic　gaseous　bodies；　whose　particles　tend　to　rush　away　from　one

another　with　great　force。　　Water；　at　the　same　temperature；　is　a

strong　though　brittle　solid　whose　particles　tend　to　cohere　into

definite　geometrical　shapes；　and　sometimes　build　up　frosty

imitations　of　the　most　complex　forms　of　vegetable　foliage。



Nevertheless　we　call　these；　and　many　other　strange　phaenomena；　the

properties　of　the　water；　and　we　do　not　hesitate　to　believe　that；　in

some　way　or　another；　they　result　from　the　properties　of　the

component　elements　of　the　water。　　We　do　not　assume　that　a　something

called　〃aquosity〃　entered　into　and　took　possession　of　the　oxidated

hydrogen　as　soon　as　it　was　formed；　and　then　guided　the　aqueous

particles　to　their　places　in　the　facets　of　the　crystal；　or　amongst

the　leaflets　of　the　hoar…frost。　　On　the　contrary；　we　live　in　the

hope　and　in　the　faith　that；　by　the　advance　of　molecular　physics；　we

shall　by　and　by　be　able　to　see　our　way　as　clearly　from　the

constituents　of　water　to　the　properties　of　water；　as　we　are　now

able　to　deduce　the　operations　of　a　watch　from　the　form　of　its　parts

and　the　manner　in　which　they　are　put　together。



Is　the　case　in　any　way　changed　when　carbonic　acid；　water；　and

nitrogenous　salts　disappear；　and　in　their　place；　under　the

influence　of　pre…existing　living　protoplasm；　an　equivalent　weight

of　the　matter　of　life　makes　its　appearance？



It　is　true　that　there　is　no　sort　of　parity　between　the　properties

of　the　components　and　the　properties　of　the　resultant；　but　neither

was　there　in　the　case　of　the　water。　　It　is　also　true　that　what　I

have　spoken　of　as　the　influence　of　pre…existing　living　matter　is

something　quite　unintelligible；　but　does　anybody　quite　comprehend

the　modus　operandi　＇106＇　of　an　electric　spark；　which　traverses　a

mixture　of　oxygen　and　hydrogen？



What　justification　is　there；　then；　for　the　assumption　of　the

existence　in　the　living　matter　of　a　something　which　has　no

representative；　or　correlative；　in　the　not　living　matter　which　gave

rise　to　it？　　What　better　philosophical　status　has　〃vitality〃　than

〃aquosity〃？　　And　why　should　〃vitality〃　hope　for　a　better　fate　than

the　other　〃itys〃　which　have　disappeared　since　Martinus　Scriblerus　＇107＇

accounted　for　the　operation　of　the　meat…jack　＇108＇　by　its　inherent

〃meat…roasting　quality；〃　and　scorned　the　〃materialism〃　of　those　who

explained　the　turning　of　the　spit　by　a　certain　mechanism　worked　by

the　draught　of　the　chimney。



If　scientific　language　is　to　possess　a　definite　and　constant

signification　whenever　it　is　employed；　it　seems　to　me　that　we　are

logically　bound　to　apply　to　the　protoplasm；　or　physical　basis　of

life；　the　same　conceptions　as　those　which　are　held　to　be　legitimate

elsewhere。　　If　the　phaenomena　exhibited　by　water　are　its

properties；　so　are　those　presented　by　protoplasm；　living　or　dead；

its　properties。



If　the　properties　of　water　may　be　properly　said　to　result　from　the

nature　and　disposition　of　its　component　molecules；　I　can　find　no

intelligible　ground　for　refusing　to　say　that　the　properties　of

protoplasm　result　from　the　nature　and　disposition　of　its　molecules。



But　I　bid　you　beware　that；　in　accepting　these　conclusions；　you　are

placing　your　feet　on　the　first　rung　of　a　ladder　which；　in　most

people's　estimation；　is　the　reverse　of　Jacob's；　and　leads　to　the

antipodes　of　heaven。　　It　may　seem　a　small　thing　to　admit　that　the

dull　vital　actions　of　a　fungus；　or　a　foraminifer；　are　the

properties　of　their　protoplasm；　and　are　the　direct　results　of　the

nature　of　the　matter　of　which　they　are　composed。　　But　if；　as　I　have

endeavoured　to　prove　to　you；　their　protoplasm　is　essentially

identical　with；　and　most　readily　converted　into；　that　of　any

animal；　I　can　discover　no　logical　halting…place　between　the

admission　that　such　is　the　case；　and　the　further　concession　that

all　vital　action　may；　with　equal　propriety；　be　said　to　be　the

result　of　the　molecular　forces　of　the　protoplasm　which　displays　it。

And　if　so；　it　must　be　true；　in　the　same　sense　and　to　the　same

extent；　that　the　thoughts　to　which　I　am　now　giving　utterance；　and

your　thoughts　regarding　them；　are　the　expression　of　molecular

changes　in　that　matter　of　life　which　is　the　source　of　our　other

vital　phaenomena。＇109＇







ON　CORAL　AND　CORAL　REEFS　＇110＇





The　marine　productions　which　are　commonly　known　by　the　names　of

〃Corals〃　and　〃Corallines；〃　were　thought　by　the　ancients　to　be　sea…

weeds；　which　had　the　singular　property　of　becoming　hard　and　solid；

when　they　were　fished　up　from　their　native　depths　and　came　into

contact　with　the　air。





〃Sic　et　curalium；　quo　primum　contigit　auras

Tempore　durescit：　mollis　fuit　herba　sub　undis；〃＇111＇





says　Ovid　（Metam。　xv）；　and　it　was　not　until　the　seventeenth　century

that　Boccone　＇112＇　was　emboldened；　by　personal　experience　of　the　facts；

to　declare　that　the　holders　of　this　belief　were　no　better　than

〃idiots；〃　who　had　been　misled　by　the　softness　of　the　outer　coat　of

the　living　red　coral　to　imagine　that　it　was　soft　all　through。



Messer　Boccone's　strong　epithet　is　probably　undeserved；　as　the

notion　he　controverts；　in　all　likelihood；　arose　merely　from　the

misinterpretation　of　the　strictly　true　statement　which　any　coral

fisherman　would　make　to　a　curious　inquirer；　namely；　that　the

outside　coat　of　the　red　coral　is　quite　soft　when　it　is　taken　out　of

the　sea。　　At　any　rate；　he　did　good　service　by　eliminating　this　much

error　from　the　current　notions　about　coral。　　But　the　belief　that

corals　are　plants　remained；　not　only　in　the　popular；　but　in　the

scientific　mind；　and　it　received　what　appeared　to　be　a　striking

confirmation　from　the　researches　of　Marsigli　＇113＇　in　1706。　　For　this

naturalist；　having　the　opportunity　of　observing　freshly…taken　red

coral；　saw　that　its　branches　were　beset　with　what　looked　like

delic