THE PROBLEMS OF SOMATOLOGY 505 



work in determining the trend of man's development since his 

 appearance on earth. First is heredity, which, according to Brin- 

 ton, decides the individual's race and trend and potentially inclines, 

 if it does not absolutely coerce his tastes and ambitions, his fears 

 and hopes, his failure or success. Second, geographic environment, 

 which works by modifying individuals, and hence types and races. 

 The potentiality of either of these two factors is not yet known, 

 and these are two of the great problems of which a solution will 

 be of utmost importance not only in determining the classifica- 

 tion of the races of mankind, but in helping to solve that much 

 more interesting problem of the explanation of races. For the 

 solution of both the problem of heredity and of environment, new 

 and more extended observations are required, these observations 

 to be made with the direct purpose of investigating the subjects 

 at issue. Are we to look to external conditions or to the trans- 

 mission of individual peculiarities as the predominating factor 

 which is to determine the division of mankind into varieties ? The 

 problems of the origin of man, formerly so much debated, appar 

 ently will solve themselves when we have determined the solu- 

 tion of the problem as to the reason for the existence of races. 

 Certain of the problems of somatology may also be said to have 

 a bearing upon the future of mankind. Thus we may not lose sight 

 of the fact that man is exterminating not only lower animals, but 

 that he is to-day exterminating certain of the lower races, and it 

 is certainly worth considering what the effect on mankind will be 

 of the exterminating going on to-day at such a great rate among 

 the Javanese, the Papuans, the Maori, the Marquesans, the Austra- 

 lians, the Hawaiians, and many, if not the majority, of the native 

 tribes of India, Australia, North, Central, and South America. "If," 

 as Hall has said, "an ounce of heredity is worth a hundredweight 

 of civilization or schooling," is it making for progress of mankind 

 that this extermination is going on so rapidly? Is it a problem 

 for the somatologist to consider what would have been the result 

 for the future of mankind if the powers in 1840 could have agreed 

 upon terms and have divided up Japan? Is it a problem, or is 

 it simply a fact, which we cannot change if we would, that the 

 highest representatives of our boasted civilization to-day are actu- 

 ally not reproducing their own numbers; that the progress of the 

 white race is making for its own overthrow and final extermination? 

 It is easy to propound similar questions of grave import, touching 

 upon the future of mankind, especially upon the future of certain 

 races, but it seems doubtful at best if a solution of such problems 

 will result in actual benefit. The great problem of the future of our 

 commonwealth seems to depend largely upon the solution of certain 

 fundamental questions of somatology, such as the effect of the mis- 



