bathybias

Updated: May 18, 2025

But although Bathybias proved delusive, this did not materially affect the advance and development of the doctrine of protoplasm. Simple forms of protoplasm were found, although none quite so simple as the hypothetical Bathybias.

H. W. (Herbert William) Conn - The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard: to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living: Activity

Bathybias stands therefore as an instance of a too precipitate advance in speculation, which led even such a brilliant man as Prof. Huxley into an unfortunate error of observation; for, beyond question, he would never have made such a mistake had he not been dominated by his speculative theories as to the nature of protoplasm.

H. W. (Herbert William) Conn - The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard: to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living: Activity

Its discoverer soon after courageously announced to the world that he had been entirely mistaken, and that the Bathybias, so far from being undifferentiated protoplasm, was not an organic product at all, but simply a mineral deposit in the sea water made by purely artificial means.

H. W. (Herbert William) Conn - The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard: to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living: Activity

The discovery was a startling one, for it seemed that the actual starting point of life had been reached. Huxley named his substance Bathybias, and this name became in a short time familiar to every one who was thinking of the problems of life. But the discovery was suspected from the first, because it was too closely in accord with speculation, and it was soon disproved.

H. W. (Herbert William) Conn - The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard: to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living: Activity