2o6 TRAIVSMISSION OF ACQUIRED CHARACTERS 



condition of life, been modified into the form A/ it follows 

 that all the functions of A^ reproductive function included, 

 must be in some degree different from the functions of 

 A." 



" An organism being a combination of rhythmically- 

 acting parts in moving equilibrium, the action and structure 

 of any one part cannot be altered without causing altera- 

 tions of action and structure in all the rest." 

 Comment. — [a) It is not denied that some deeply satura- 

 ting modifications of the body, affecting the nutritive stream, 

 may affect the reproductive organs. This is not the point 

 at issue. (&) How far a modification is likely to affect the 

 reproductive organs must be determined by observation 

 and experiment. The appreciability of the change will 

 depend on the amount and nature of the modification, 

 and on the intimacy of the correlation subsisting in the 

 organism. Dislodging a rock may alter the centre of 

 gravity of the earth, but it does not do so appreciably. 



(2) " And if the organism A, when changed to A\ must be changed 



in all its functions, then the offspring of A^ cannot be the 

 same as they would have been had it retained the form 

 A." 

 Comment. — This is logical, but is it true ? The change from 

 A to A^ may be important, it may appreciably alter the 

 metabolism, but it does not follow that it can appreciably 

 alter the architecture of the germ-plasm. Spencer's 

 assumption that the change in the constitutional units of 

 the body must affect the constitutional units in the germ- 

 cells remains an assumption. 



(3) " That the change in the offspring must, other things equal, 



be in the same direction as the change in the parent, appears 

 implied by the fact that the change propagated throughout 

 the parental system is a change towards a new state of 

 equilibrium — a change tending to bring the actions of aU 

 organs, reproductive included, into harmony with these 

 new actions." 

 Comment. — It seems to us to pass the wit of man to conceive 

 how or why an improved equilibrium in, let us say, the use 

 of the hand should involve any corresponding or represen- 

 tative change of equilibrium in the germinal material. 



