Besides, biologists admit that there exist within the protoplasm aliquot parts, elements of an inferior order, which possess special activities. These secondary elements must have the principle of their activity within themselves. Such are the biophors to which Weismann attributes the vital functions of the cell, nutrition, growth, and multiplication. If there are biophors within the cell, we may imagine them outside the cell, and since they carry within themselves the principle of their activity they may exercise it in an independent manner. Unhappily the biophors, and other constituent elements of that kind, are purely hypothetical. They are like Darwin's gemmules, Altmann's bioblasts, and the pangens of De Vries. They have no relation to facts of observation and to real existence.
Vital Phenomena in Brute Bodies.—There is no doubt that certain phenomena of vitality may occur outside of the cellular atmosphere. And carrying this further, we may admit that they may be produced in certain slightly organized bodies (crushed cells), and then in certain unorganized bodies in certain brute beings. In every case it is certain that effects are produced at any rate similar to those which are characteristic of living matter. It is for observation and experiment to decide as to the degree of similarity, and their verdict is that the similarity is complete. The crystals and the crystalline germs studied by Ostwald and Tammann are the seat of phenomena which are quite comparable to those of vitality.
