The evolution of life
The publication of my work "The Beginnings of Life" in 1872 gave rise to a good deal of criticism and was followed by much controversy for a few years. The criticism concerned both sections of the work — that dealing with Heterogenesis, as well as the portion in which I endeavoured to establish the reality of Archebiosis, though there was controversy only in regard to the latter subject.
The absence of controversy about Heterogenesis was due to the fact that I made no reply to any of the criticisms concerning this section of my book.
It was a kind of subject which did not seem open to profitable discussion, especially with persons who declined to attempt to repeat the observations in question. I was at the time, however, more sanguine of good resulting from a discussion concerning Archebiosis.
Much controversy, therefore, followed with some very formidable opponents, and as a result, I continued to do further work in reference to this question up to the year 1877. During that and the previous year a very heated controversy was carried on with Professor Tyndall in this country and with M. Pasteur in France. Both were excessively dogmatic.
Some contents:
I. The Earth is one among a Multitude of Inhabited Worlds ....... I
II. The Constitution of Matter .... 4
III. Inorganic Evolution ..... 10
IV. Organic Evolution as a Natural Sequence of Inorganic
Evolution . . . . . .19
V. Some Modern Views and Present-day Misconceptions . 26
PART II
THE CONDITIONS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE MODES OF EXPERIMENTATION
VI. Experimental Conditions as Opposed to Natural Conditions: their Unfavourable Nature . . 35
VII. The Presence of Germs in Air and Water . . 39
VIII. The Limits of Vital Resistance to Heat: Early
Observations ...... 43
IX. The Limits of Vital Resistance to Heat: later Observations ....... 53
X. The Limits of Vital Resistance to Heat: Conclusion. 67
XI. Modes of Testing the Question whether certain Solutions can give Birth to Specks of Living Matt
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