BIOLOGY. 269 



gorilla's is the lowest of the anthropoid apes, since the brain does 

 not cover the cerebellum, by which he approaches the cynocephali. 

 It is not in his size and strength that we must look for human 

 characters, but in the conformation of the hands; and just in this 

 he differs considerably from man. The thumb is very short in the 

 gorilla, and its muscles much reduced. The long flexor is re- 

 placed by a tendinous tract, the origin of which is lost in the ten- 

 dinous sheaths of the flexors of the other fingers. It follows that 

 the thumb has no independent movement of opposition. In the 

 orang, though the thumb is shortened, it is still capable of an in- 

 dependent flexion ; but this depends on a peculiar disposition 

 which he had lately verified with M. Alix. In point of fact, the 

 proper flexor of the thumb is entirely absent in the orang ; there 

 is not even found that tendinous tract existing in the gorilla ; but, 

 by a singular contrivance, the marginal fibres of the abductor 

 muscle of the thumb terminate in a tendon which is placed in the 

 axis of the first terminal axis." "The fact which establishes a 

 great relation between man and apes is, that in them the optic 

 nerves open directly in the cerebral hemispheres, whilst in the 

 other vertebrates these nerves reach the brain only by the inter- 

 mediation of the tubercula quadrigemina. This peculiarity may 

 explain the existence of a certain conformity in the manner in 

 which man and ape perceive their sensations. But it does not fol- 

 low that there is an identity in the nature of their intelligence ; for 

 though the senses are subservient to the operations of the intellect, 

 it cannot be said that they produce it. Man must be placed by the 

 side of the ape, but only as an animal. Man is a being apart, just 

 as all other vertebrata must be separated, as they cannot be con- 

 sidered as having originated from -each other." M. Gratiolet 

 added that, as a pupil of Blainville, with whom originated the 

 idea of a series in natural history, he felt bound to state how much 

 the ideas of his master had become modified. Where Blainville 

 formerly recognized transitions from group to group, he, in the 

 latter period of his life, only saw maxima and minima of realiza- 

 tion for each group. He acknowledged an ideal series between 

 types, but not a lineal series between all beings. It is thus im- 

 possible to invoke the opinions of Blainville for the support of 

 theories tending to reduce to a single stock the numerous species 

 composing the animal kingdom. Medical Times and Gazette. 



CHALK AS A FERMENT. 



M. A. Bechamp has been engaged in investigating the action of 

 the chalk which is generally used in butyric and lactic acid fer- 

 mentations. Chalk is commonly added to a liquid undergoing this 

 change for the purpose of neutralizing the acids formed, and 

 thereby augmenting the quantity producible. Although this, no 

 doubt, is its general method of action, yet M. Bechamp now shows 

 that native chalk is of itself capable of acting as a ferment, and, 

 when added to a solution of starch or 'of sugar, will establish the 

 a-lcoholic. lactic, and butyric fermentations without the interven* 

 tion of any other substance. 

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