many of the mysteries of the Polar regions have been unveiled; and the four centuries which have rolled by since the discovery of America leave few great problems for the future explorer to solve. 341 THE MYSTERY OF LIFE. BY JOHN NEWTON, M.R.C.S. IN the Eleusinian mysteries of ancient Greece, when the time came for initiating the disciple into the highest degree of their religion, the priest exhibited to him with much solemnity as the grand, the admirable, the most perfect object of mystic contemplation, an ear of corn gathered in silence. And truly, those old thinkers were right. For here was the great mystery of mysteries-the origin of Life-presented in a familiar form as an object worthy of the deepest thought. The tiny seed, buried in the earth, and which appeared to die, had become the source of new life, and had multiplied itself a hundred fold. Who or what was the source of this marvellous power thus visibly displayed? Was not the whole world palpitating with this same life, which assumed a myriad forms and colours in bud and flower, in rivers, and seas, and lands, ever mounting up to man? Who would reveal the unseen source of all these phenomena, the hidden life of all this life-ever acting, ever shaping, directing, informing all? Thus was the question presented at once to the neophyte, and his mind became athirst for more knowledge of the great Cause of causes, which is surely the first step to a Religion. One way in which the problem was approached was this. The primitive mind conceived of every living thing as animated by a conscious soul allied to his own; a tree, for instance, in all its glory of foliage and blossoms, was regarded as the abode of a spirit. From this belief to tree-worship was but a step, and we have only to recall the ash tree yggdrasil of Norse mythology; the sacred Bo-tree of India, in which the spirit of Buddha dwelt; the trees of Paradise, and of the Revelation, "whose leaves are for the healing of the nations," to realise how important a part this idea has played in the ancient religions. They still present at harvest-home, in some parts of England, a human figure made of ears of corn, once the symbol of the earth-goddess Ceres or Demeter; and our Christmas trees are plainly survivals of tree-worship. It might be supposed the easiest thing in the world to define what is Life, the thing itself is so common. Well, attempt it, and you will begin to perceive your own ignorance. An old definition is, "The sum of the actions of living things," but this only avoids the difficulty instead of facing it. As one of the latest attempts, let us hear Herbert Spencer's explanation of Life. He says: "It is the definite combination of heterogeneous changes, both simultaneous and successive, in correspondence with external co-existences and sequences." There! we are not a whit the wiser, and such attempts are only a cloud of words to hide our ignorance. And yet we know, oh! so acutely, so painfully, what is meant by Life. Fulness of life has been sighed for, eagerly sought after, in every age. It has been the highest theme of the poet, and the supreme gift promised to the devout under every chief form of religion. All the great actors in the world's drama have been distinguished by their intense vitality. What is Genius but the power of making efforts? Or, as another defined it: "Genius is the power of lighting your own fire-and that fire is Life." Yes, indeed! we, the less endowed, may well say 'Tis Life of which our nerves are scant. Oh! Life, not Death, for which we pant, What is Life? This supremely interesting question has seemed to approach nearer solution after every great scientific discovery. But never did the hope of being able to penetrate the great secret of life appear better founded than when, among other developments of science, the microscope was invented. The first discoveries thus made. between 1660 and 1700 (such as seeing the circulation of the blood, which Harvey had only inferred from the valves of the heart and veins), produced a profound impression on the observers. The Dutch naturalist Swammerdam became almost insane at the marvels revealed by his lenses, and at last destroyed his notes, having come to the conclusion that it was sacrilege to unveil, and thereby to profane, what was designed by the Creator to be hidden from human ken. At that time, and until the present century, life was chiefly studied as seen in the higher animals, especially man. These were seen to be built up of a congeries of complex organs, such as the brain, the liver, the heart, the kidneys. And the efforts of physiologists were directed to find out the special structure and function of each organ-the sum total of which was supposed to be Life. In this way the word organic came into use as distinctive of living beings. And it was sometimes maintained that mind was simply the proper secretion of the brain, as bile was of the liver! When, fifty or sixty years ago, the improvements in the microscope opened up a new world to the anatomist and naturalist, and a wholly fresh analysis of the structure of living beings became. possible, great hopes were entertained that the old method |