39^ Weismann^s Theories — 



taken into the body can possibly affect directly the organs 

 thus modified. It can only do so through the action of the 

 digestive organs and the circulation. Since change of sex 

 necessarily implies changes in the germ-plasm contained 

 within the organism, this amounts to a demonstration that 

 changes in the soma can affect the substance which Professor 

 Weismann regards as being so unmodifiable. 



Our author argues at great length against the possibility 

 of any transmission of mutilations. No doubt in the im- 

 mense majority of cases such suddenly violently produced 

 modifications are not transmitted, but there is nevertheless 

 a certain amount of evidence that they occasionally are so. 



An esteemed medical practitioner in the west of England 

 informs us that a blood mare belonging to the late Sir F. 

 Williams, Bart., on the night of the day she had been put to 

 horse, was placed in an old stable prior to being turned out 

 to grass for a summer's run. When the groom entered the 

 stable the following morning, he found that the mare had 

 lost one of its eyes, which he then found adhering to a rusty 

 nail in the wall. In due course the mare gave birth to a 

 foal Avith only one eye, and the same thing occurred in the 

 following year. Afterwards she had foals with perfect eyes. 

 The previous foals with only one eye each were without an 

 eye on the same side of the head as that in which the injury 

 to the mother had taken place. 



From noting cases of injury, we turn naturally to consider 

 instances of the repair and reproduction of lost parts in 

 individuals which have sustained injury. Very remarkable 

 instances of such repair occur sometimes in the human 

 subject, but that which takes place in many of the lower 

 animals is far greater. Thus if the tail of a lizard be 

 broken off, it will grow again. The limbs of efts Avill also 

 be reproduced, with their bones, muscles, blood-vessels, and 

 nerves. Even the eye and lower jaw have been seen to 



