HEREDITY HAS NO POWER, ETC. 93 



tion on material and mechanical principles, without 

 the aid of any supernatural psychic or creative force. 

 For example, Darwin invented the theory of ' gem- 

 mules' and " pangenesis ; ' Spencer advanced the 

 hypothesis of "physiological units" or "constitution- 

 al units," "structural proclivity,' or "proclivity 

 towards the organic form of the species;' Cope sug- 

 gested "bathmism (go-ism)" "simple growth-force,' 

 "grade-growth-force' and "excess-growth;' Weis- 

 mann invented the ' ' continuity of germ plasm, ' ' i is, ' 

 "iddants' and "determinants.' But none of these 

 words or phrases explain anything. If there is any- 

 thing in nature corresponding to these words none of 

 these writers ever saw them, nor did they know any- 

 thing about them. These "gemmules,' "units,' 

 "proclivities,' "ids," "bathmisms," etc., are purely 

 hypothetical mere figments of the imagination. 

 Every body has rejected Darwin's theory of "gem- 

 mules, ' ' and ' l pangenesis ; " no one but Spencer ever 

 adopted his hypothesis of "physiological units' and 

 "proclivities;" Cope was the only man that ever used 

 "bathmism," etc.; Spencer, Romanes and others gave 

 many reasons why Weismann's "continuity of germ- 

 plasm," "ids," "iddants" and "determinants' were 

 absurd and impos ible. No two of them agreed on 

 anything, except the supposed fact of organic evolu- 

 tion. Spencer, somewhere says, in substance, that 

 there is a general belief that organic evolution has 

 occurred ; but great diversity of opinion as to the man- 

 ner in which it has been effected. 



The theory of the evolutionist is that the genital 

 organs of a man generate spermatozoa, with all their 



