1868. | Darwin and Pangenesis. | 303 
adopted the suggestions we then made; and he seeks now to 
show what that “occult influence” is which modifies the male and 
female elements of reproduction. Without losing his hold upon 
the “ conditions of existence” which, as we have shown, he considers 
to be one of the main causes of change in the organs of reproduc- 
tion, he finds in “ pangenesis” the solution of the problem and the 
immediate means by which the change is effected. 
And now for his provisional hypothesis of “ pangenesis.” To 
explain it in his own words, it “ imphes that the whole organization 
in the sense of every atom or unit reproduces itself. Hence ovules 
and pollen-grains—the fertilized seed or egg, as well as buds— 
include and consist of a multitude of germs thrown off from each 
separate atom of the organism.” 
In short, it is the application of the atomic theory to living 
forms ; is in perfect conformity with all the teachings of correlation 
between vital and physical forces, and as a provisional hypothesis, 
is well worthy of the consideration which the author and others have 
bestowed upon it.* 
The author believes (at least as far as we can judge from his 
remarks on such an obscure subject) that all changes in the various 
organisms which result from the contact of the spermatozoon and 
ovum, as well as those which are derived from gemmation or 
budding, have their origin in the nature of the cel/s which constitute 
the elements or materials in operation. The cells or units which 
constitute all living bodies, from the simplest to the most complex, 
are themselves organized, and consist of lesser cells or atoms having 
various natures, and according to the author they give off those 
constituent atoms as “ gemmules,” and the nature of those atoms 
or “gemmules” fixes the future character of the organism into 
which they enter. 
In this manner he seeks to account for the first variation in 
living types; for the transmission of inherited peculiarities from a 
grandfather, say, through a daughter to a grandchild ; for hybridism. 
Let us endeavour to explain briefly and as popularly as possible, 
how the author believes that pangenesis acts in these cases. It 
must be presumed, first, that the male and female elements each 
contain a due proportion of cells composed of “‘ gemmules.” If 
there is a preponderance of certain gemmules in the paternal 
element of reproduction over those of the female, then the offspring 
may either resemble the father in the next generation, or the effect, 
being one of quantity, may be latent in that generation and only 
appear in the succeeding one—the peculiarity being transmitted 
through the reproductive organs of the intermediate generation 
which showed no such peculiarity. If the preponderance (the 
* An able article on the subject, called “Cell Life,’ by Dr. Fick, of Zurich, 
will be found in this Journal, April, 1866. 
