“In short, the whole position of Mr. Huxley, (1) that all organisms consist alike of the same life-matter, (2) which life-matter is, for its part, due only to chemistry, must be pronounced untenable—­nor less untenable (3) the materialism he would found on it.”

The paragraph contains three distinct assertions concerning my views, and just the same number of utter misrepresentations of them.  That which I have numbered (1) turns on the ambiguity of the word “same,” for a discussion of which I would refer Dr. Stirling to a great hero of “Aufklaerung” Archbishop Whately; statement number (2) is, in my judgment, absurd, and certainly I have never said anything resembling it; while, as to number (3), one great object of my essay was to show that what is called “materialism” has no sound philosophical basis!

As we have seen, the study of yeast has led investigators face to face with problems of immense interest in pure chemistry, and in animal and vegetable morphology.  Its physiology is not less rich in subjects for inquiry.  Take, for example, the singular fact that yeast will increase indefinitely when grown in the dark, in water containing only tartrate of ammonia a small percentage of mineral salts and sugar.  Out of these materials the Toruloe will manufacture nitrogenous protoplasm, cellulose, and fatty matters, in any quantity, although they are wholly deprived of those rays of the sun, the influence of which is essential to the growth of ordinary plants.  There has been a great deal of speculation lately, as to how the living organisms buried beneath two or three thousand fathoms of water, and therefore in all probability almost deprived of light, live.  If any of them possess the same powers as yeast (and the same capacity for living without light is exhibited by some other fungi) there would seem to be no difficulty about the matter.

Of the pathological bearings of the study of yeast, and other such organisms, I have spoken elsewhere.  It is certain that, in some animals, devastating epidemics are caused by fungi of low order—­similar to those of which Torula is a sort of offshoot.  It is certain that such diseases are propagated by contagion and infection, in just the same way as ordinary contagious and infectious diseases are propagated.  Of course, it does not follow from this, that all contagious and infectious diseases are caused by organisms of as definite and independent a character as the Torula; but, I think, it does follow that it is prudent and wise to satisfy one’s self in each particular case, that the “germ theory” cannot and will not explain the facts, before having recourse to hypotheses which have no equal support from analogy.

V

ON THE FORMATION OF COAL

[1870]