The philosophy of evolution / by B. Thompson Lowne.

  • Lowne, B. Thompson (Benjamin Thompson), 1839-1925.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The philosophy of evolution / by B. Thompson Lowne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/216 (page 17)
    CHAPTER III. THE RELATIONS OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATTER. Our present knowledge only permits us to speak with great caution with regard to the evolution of organic from inorganic matter. There is, however, much indirect evidence to justify a belief that it had such an origin ; and this is important, since if it could be proved that organic matter had a se- parate origin from inorganic, it would be reason- able to believe in the separate origin of its various modifications. Many experiments have been made with a view to prove that living things may originate de novo in various organic and inorganic solutions; and the hypothesis of spontaneous generation has been advocated by some, although it is indubitable that the weight of evidence has hitherto been in favour of the doctrine that no living thing can originate without the admission of living germs or seeds*. * A careful perusal of Dr. C. Bastian's work ' On the Beginnings of Life' has failed to change the author's opinion on this point.