autobiography and selected essays-第28节

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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

delicate　and　beautiful　flowers　each　having　eight　petals。　　It　was

true　that　these　〃flowers〃　could　protrude　and　retract　themselves；

but　their　motions　were　hardly　more　extensive；　or　more　varied；　than

those　of　the　leaves　of　the　sensitive　plant；　and　therefore　they

could　not　be　held　to　militate　against　the　conclusion　so　strongly

suggested　by　their　form　and　their　grouping　upon　the　branches　of　a

tree…like　structure。



Twenty　years　later；　a　pupil　of　Marsigli；　the　young　Marseilles

physician；　Peyssonel；　conceived　the　desire　to　study　these　singular

sea…plants；　and　was　sent　by　the　French　Government　on　a　mission　to

the　Mediterranean　for　that　purpose。　　The　pupil　undertook　the

investigation　full　of　confidence　in　the　ideas　of　his　master；　but

being　able　to　see　and　think　for　himself；　he　soon　discovered　that

those　ideas　by　no　means　altogether　corresponded　with　reality。　　In

an　essay　entitled　〃Traite　du　Corail；〃　　which　was　communicated　to

the　French　Academy　of　Science；　but　which　has　never　been　published；

Peyssonel　writes：



〃Je　fis　fleurir　le　corail　dans　des　vases　pleins　d'eau　de　mer；　et

j'observai　que　ce　que　nous　croyons　etre　la　fleur　de　cette　pretendue

plante　n'etait　au　vrai；　qu'un　insecte　semblable　a　une　petite　Ortie

ou　Poulpe。　　J'avais　le　plaisir　de　voir　remuer　les　pattes；　ou　pieds；

de　cette　Ortie；　et　ayant　mis　le　vase　plein　d'eau　ou　le　corail　etait

a　une　douce　chaleur　aupres　du　feu；　tous　les　petits　insectes

s'epanouirent。L'Ortie　sortie　etend　les　pieds；　et　forme　ce　que　M。

de　Marsigli　et　moi　avions　pris　pour　les　petales　de　la　fleur。　　Le

calice　de　cette　pretendue　fleur　est　le　corps　meme　de　l'animal

avance　et　sorti　hors　de　la　cellule。〃*＇114＇





*　This　extract　from　Peyssonel's　manuscript　is　given　by　M。　Lacaze

Duthiers　in　his　valuable　Histoire　Naturelle　du　Corail　（1866）。





The　comparison　of　the　flowers　of　the　coral　to　a　〃petite　ortie；〃　or

〃little　nettle；〃　is　perfectly　just；　but　needs　explanation。　　〃Ortie

de　mer；〃　or　〃sea…nettle；〃　is；　in　fact；　the　French　appellation　for

our　〃sea…anemone；〃　a　creature　with　which　everybody；　since　the　great

aquarium　mania；　must　have　become　familiar；　even　to　the　limits　of

boredom。　　In　1710；　the　great　naturalist；　Reaumur；＇115＇　had　written　a

memoir　for　the　express　purpose　of　demonstrating　that　these　〃orties〃

are　animals；　and　with　this　important　paper　Peyssonel　must

necessarily　have　been　familiar。　　Therefore；　when　he　declared　the

〃flowers〃　of　the　red　coral　to　be　little　〃orties；〃　it　was　the　same

thing　as　saying　that　they　were　animals　of　the　same　general　nature

as　sea…anemones。　　But　to　Peyssonel's　contemporaries　this　was　an

extremely　startling　announcement。　　It　was　hard　to　imagine　the

existence　of　such　a　thing　as　an　association　of　animals　into　a

structure　with　stem　and　branches　altogether　like　a　plant；　and　fixed

to　the　soil　as　a　plant　is　fixed；　and　the　naturalists　of　that　day

preferred　not　to　imagine　it。　　Even　Reaumur　could　not　bring　himself

to　accept　the　notion；　and　France　being　blessed　with　Academicians；

whose　great　function　（as　the　late　Bishop　Wilson　＇116＇　and　an　eminent

modern　writer　＇117＇　have　so　well　shown）　is　to　cause　sweetness　and

light　to　prevail；　and　to　prevent　such　unmannerly　fellows　as　Peyssonel

from　blurting　out　unedifying　truths；　they　suppressed　him；　and；　as

aforesaid；　his　great　work　remained　in　manuscript；　and　may　at　this

day　be　consulted　by　the　curious　in　that　state；　in　the　Bibliotheque

du　Museum　d'Histoire　Naturelle。　　Peyssonel；　who　evidently　was　a

person　of　savage　and　untameable　disposition；　so　far　from

appreciating　the　kindness　of　the　Academicians　in　giving　him　time　to

reflect　upon　the　unreasonableness；　not　to　say　rudeness；　of　making

public　statements　in　opposition　to　the　views　of　some　of　the　most

distinguished　of　their　body；　seems　bitterly　to　have　resented　the

treatment　he　met　with。　　For　he　sent　all　further　communications　to

the　Royal　Society　of　London；　which　never　had；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped

never　will　have；　anything　of　an　academic　constitut