Characters, Hereditary and Acquired. 113 



caused by injury to some particular part of the 

 nervous system, I cannot see that there is any 

 reason to doubt the transmission of a nervous lesion 

 merely on the ground that it is not visibly discernible. 



I Of course there may be other grounds for doubting 

 it ; but I am satisfied that this ground is untenable. 

 Besides, it must be remembered, as regards the 



I particular cases in question, that no one has thus far 

 investigated the histology of the matter by the greatly 

 improved methods which are now at our disposal, 

 I have now considered all the criticisms which 

 have been advanced against what may be called 

 the Lamarckian interpretation of Brown-Sequard's 

 results ; and I think it will be seen that they present 

 very little force — even if it can be seen that they 

 present any force at all. But it must be remembered 

 that this is a different thing from saying that the 

 Lamarckian interpretation is the true one. The 

 facts alleged are, without question, highly peculiar ; 

 and, on this account alone, Brown-Sequard's inter- 

 pretation of them ought to be deemed provisional. 

 Hence, although as yet they have not encountered 

 any valid criticism from the side of ultra-Darwinian 

 theory, I do not agree with Darwin that, on the sup- 

 position of their truth as facts, they furnish positive 

 proof of the transmission of acquired characters. 

 Rather do I agree with Weismann that further in- 

 vestigation is needed in order to establish such an 

 important conclusion on the basis of so unusual a 

 class of facts. This further investigation, therefore, 

 I have undertaken, and will now state the results. 

 Although this work was begun over twenty years 

 K- II. I 



