Advancing science : being personal reminiscences of the British Association in the nineteenth century / by Sir Oliver Lodge.

  • Oliver Lodge
Date:
1931
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Advancing science : being personal reminiscences of the British Association in the nineteenth century / by Sir Oliver Lodge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    It is interesting to find that Redi had to defend himself against the charge of impugning the authority of the Scriptures, but “ strong with the strength of demon¬ strable fact, [he] did splendid battle for Biogenesis.” Many intermediate stages did the doctrine go through before it was finally established. Ultimately Pasteur, “ in beautiful researches which will ever render his name famous,” showed that something could be filtered out of air by cotton-wool which stopped any life appear¬ ing beyond the filter ; and then by examining the cotton-wool he found that germs had accumulated in it. It is now considered thoroughly established that when germs are excluded no life appears. “ But [continues Huxley] though I cannot express this conviction of mine too strongly, I must carefully guard myself against the supposition that I intend to suggest that no such thing as abiogenesis [spontaneous generation] ever has taken place in the past, or ever will take place in the future. With organic chemistry, molecular physics, and physiology yet in their infancy, and every day making prodigious strides, I think it would be the height of presumption for any man to say that the conditions under which matter assumes the properties we call ‘ vital ’ may not, some day, be artificially brought together. All I feel justified in affirming is, that I see no reason for believing that the feat has been performed yet.” And he speaks of his expectation—though he has no right to call his opinion a belief—that such a process *7