Page:George Archdall Reid 1896 The present evolution of man.djvu/81

Rh be arrived at between the whole and its parts" (p. 288); but as regards all crystals there is perfect equilibrium between the whole and its parts during every stage of growth.

The force of crystallization binds the component parts of the mass firmly together; never do crystals emit minute particles to serve as germs of future crystals, but that force which causes the development of living organisms causes also those organisms in time to separate from themselves minute particles, the germs of future like organisms.

The stag at one season of the year, when he is frequently engaged in combats, carries large and massive horns; these are shed, so that at another season, when he is more peaceably inclined, he is without them, and thereby the shape of the animal taken as a whole is greatly modified. If the stag is a sort of crystal, under, what law of crystallization does this crystal modify itself periodically for the purpose of fighting? Are we to suppose that the stag's physiological units periodically undergo so great a change as is implied in his great change of form?

Pages might be filled with similar objections to Mr. Spencer's theory, but it is needless to multiply examples. While fully admitting the persistence of force, we cannot admit that the persistence of force influences heredity in the way he would have us believe. Without better proof we cannot even admit the existence of physiological units, and certainly we cannot admit that higher organisms are not essentially cellular,—that they are not compounded of adherent unicellular organisms and their products.