Hi Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



"The finest fibrils penetrate between the odontoblasts and end for the 

 most part directly under the shank of the tooth with free tips, which 

 are here and there nodose. A penetration of nerve-fibres into the 

 shank of the tooth was nowhere observed." 



An Examination of Weismannisni. 1 



The publication from an American house of this volume of essays 

 is another indication of the widespread interest which Dr. Weismann's 

 speculations have excited. Like the original essays, which it criti- 

 cises, this book is a growth, the chapters having been in several cases 

 called out by radical changes in Dr. Weismann's own views. The 

 founder of Weismannism has of late successively receded from so 

 many of the positions which were formerly considered characteristic of 

 that School that one wonders if it would not be better if he were to re- 

 cede from the few that remain. 



Dr. Romanes says, "Upon the whole, then, it appears to me that 

 both the fundamental postulates of the theory of germ-plasm are un- 

 sound. That the substance of heredity is largely continuous and 

 highly stable I see many and cogent reasons for believing. But that 

 this substance has been uninterruptedly continuous since the origin of 

 life, and absolutely stable since the origin of sexual propagation, I see 

 even more and better reasons for disbelieving. And inasmuch as 

 these two latter, or distinctive, postulates are not needed for Weis- 

 mann's theory of heredity, while they are both essential to his theory 

 of evolution, I cannot but regret that he should thus have crippled 

 the former by burdening it with the latter. Hence my object through- 

 out has been to display, as sharply as possible, the contrast that is 

 presented between the brass and the clay in the colossal figure which 

 Weismann has constructed. Hence, also, my emphatic dissent from 

 his theory of evolution does not prevent me from sincerely appreciat- 

 ing the great value which attaches to his theory of heredity." 



In concluding Chapter V, " Weismannism up to date ( 1893 )," 

 the author states, "By surrendering his doctrine of the absolute stabili- 

 ty of germ-plasm on the one hand, and of its perpetual continuity on 

 the other, Weismann has greatly improved his theory of heredity. . . . 



In my opinion it only remains for him to withdraw the last rem- 

 nant of his theory of evolution by cancelling his modified and even 

 less tenable views on amphimixis, in order to give us a theory of 



1 Romanes, G. J. An Examination of Weismannism. Open Court Pub- 

 lishing Co. Chicago, 1893. 



