The life of the bacteria and germs—­the yeasty forms of life—­are familiar to many of us.  And yet there are forms of life still below these.  The line between living forms and non-living forms is being set back further and further by science.  Living creatures are now known that resemble the non-living so closely that the line cannot be definitely drawn.

Living creatures are known that are capable of being dried and laid away for several years, and then may be revived by the application of moisture.  They resemble dust, but are full of life and function.  Certain forms of bacilli are known to Science that have been subjected to degrees of heat and cold that are but terms to any but the scientific mind.

Low forms of life called Diatoms or “living crystals” are known.  They are tiny geometrical forms.  They are composed of a tiny drop of plasm, resembling glue, covered by a thin shell of siliceous or sandy material.  They are visible only through the microscope, and are so small that thousands of them might be gathered together on the head of a pin.  They are so like chemical crystals that it requires a shrewd and careful observer to distinguish them.  And yet they are alive, and perform all the functions of life.

Leaving these creatures, we enter the kingdom of the crystals, in our search for life.  Yes, the crystals manifest life, as strange as this statement may appear to those who have not followed the march of Science.  The crystals are born, grow, live, and may be killed by chemicals or electricity.  Science has added a new department called “Plasmology,” the purpose of which is the study of crystal life.  Some investigators have progressed so far as to claim that they have discovered signs of rudimentary sex functioning among crystals.  At any rate, crystals are born and grow like living things.  As a recent scientific writer has said:  “Crystallization, as we are to learn now, is not a mere mechanical grouping of dead atoms.  It is a birth.”

The crystal forms from the mother liquor, and its body is built up systematically, regularly, and according to a well defined plan or pattern, just as are the body and bones of the animal form, and the wood and bark of the tree.  There is life at work in the growth of the crystal.  And not only does the crystal grow, but it also reproduces itself by separation or splitting-off, just as is the case with the lower forms of life, just mentioned.

The principal point of difference between the growth and development of the crystals and that of the lower forms of life referred to is that the crystal takes its nourishment from the outside, and builds up from its outer surface, while the Monera absorbs its nourishment from within, and grows outwardly from within.  If the crystal had a soft center, and took its nourishment in that way, it would be almost identical with the Diatom, or, if the Diatom grew from the outside, it would be but a crystal.  A very fine dividing line.