On so-called spontaneous generation / by Benjamin T. Lowne.

  • Benjamin Thompson Lowne
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On so-called spontaneous generation / by Benjamin T. Lowne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    2/8 page 2
    inorgaiiic matter. Perhaps, as Dr. Bastiaii suggests, colloid may be intermediate between inorganic and organic living material, but I tell yoil, gentlemen, this is all expectation, and should not be belief, as we have not at present a tittle of evidence in its favour. No doubt, with Mr. Charles Darwin’s hypothesis, the origin of living organic from inorganic matter would supply a gap in the evolution of the animal kingdom : but we must not on that account found a scientific belief. Now, sir, I shall very carefully sift the supposed evidence in favour of spontaneous generation ; I shall divide this evidence into that which is purely microscopical and that which is dependent on experiment. First, with regard to the microscopical evidence. This consists in the assertion, that some observers have seen organic living cells and fungus spores built up by the aggregation of minute granules. Now, there is very strong evidence that this does not happen ; the organisms described as fungus spores are in some cases not fungus spores at all, and in other cases they have been observed with a hilum or point.at which they were attached to a parent. Surely we cannot believe this point of attachment was the character of a spore formed de novo. On the other hand, I should be sorry to deny, with my present knowledge, that it is possible organisms of a simpler kind, such as unicellular organisms, may be built up in this way. If such a mode of evolution does take place, I still believe it is from pre-existing germs ; such gemmules, for instance, as Mr. Darwin believes in,. in his beautiful provisional hypothesis of pangenesis. I believe, if it can be proved that organisms can be produced by aggregation, it will be found that this only takes place when pre-existing, cells - have given up their contents in the fiuid experimented on. In order that you may have a clear conception of Mr. Darwin’s theory, I will read to you, to my mind, far the most lucid abstract of that theory that has ever been published. It is a portion of Dr. Hooker’s address to the British Association at Norwich, in 1868. Dr. Hooker said—“ You are aware that every planter animal commences its more or less independent life as a single cell, from which is developed an organism more or less closely similar to its parent. One of the most striking examples I can think of is afforded by a species of Begonia, the stalks, leaves and other parts of which are superficially studded with loosely attached cellular
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3