The Present-day Occurrence of Spontaneous Generation

Abstract

As is well known, Dr. Charlton Bastian has for several decades been investigating. the occurrence of spontaneous generation—the development of living organisms from non-living matter. However opposed to what seems to be our common experience this may be, its occurrence at some time or other is at least suggested by modern doctrines of evolution. Dr. Bastian makes use of solutions containing colloidal matter, from which, if it has done so, living matter may be presumed most probably to have sprung. Although such solutions apparently contain no carbon and other constituent elements of protoplasm, an ample sufficiency of such elements to supply all requirements is present as “mpurities”in the solutions.