A Criticism of the Cell-Theory; being an Answer to Mr. Sedgwick's ...

A CRITICISM OP THE CELL-THEORY. 165
puscle of protoplasm is in esse as also in posse a unit of
independent vitality, a multinucleate corpuscle or mass of
protoplasm is in posse composed of separate cells (units of
independent vitality if one chooses to call them so) whilst still
in esse a single unit of independent vitality ?
To continue the subject. We now know also that division
into cells is not necessarily, though it sometimes may be,
division into units of independent vitality, but is often (may we
not say generally ?) incomplete separation into form elements
which may indeed, under certain conditions, be completely
separated, and exhibit an independent vitality (Begonia), but
under normal conditions participate in the vitality of the whole
plant or animal by means of their connections with their
fellows. Hence we must conclude, as it seems to me, that the
elementary parts of organisms are not independent life units
in esse. They may be so in posse in many cases, but as
differentiation and specialization progress they lose this power
also, and cannot, when separated from the whole of which they
form a part, exhibit independent activities.
This consideration leads to the apparent paradox, that the
higher the organisation the less conjunct and, at the same
time, the less independent are its parts ; the lower the organisation
the more conjunct, but also the more independent are its
parts.
This is a puzzle which has, for years past, exercised the
minds of biologists. There is, I believe, but one solution of
the difficulty, and it is to be found in the physiological import
of cells.
But before we can enter into this question we must finally
satisfy ourselves, as far as circumstances allow, about the
morphological concept of a cell.
That the cell is a thing cognisable, and that it is not an
unreal figment, due to imperfect observation or to hopelessly
prejudiced interpretation of our observations, as Mr. Sedgwick
would make us believe, I will try to show.
•;
A cell is a " body," and therefore an external cause to which
we attribute our sensatipns. I would submit that, without