72 



ovarium exercises a function, independent of other seats, of pro- 

 ducing a certain aggregate of organic molecules, and of endowing 

 them with properties which are similar to those possessed by the 

 parent, in every seat 1 



41. In order to settle these alternatives, I devised an experi- 

 ment which, if it had succeeded, would have been conclusive. The 

 object of the experiment was to preclude the possibility of identical 

 properties from remote seats in the ovum. For this purpose, I pro- 

 cured two young rabbits, a male and female, and cut off both their 

 ears. The rabbits attained maturity, grew old and fat, but did not 

 breed. This experiment was repeated with two other rabbits, but 

 it so happened that they did not breed. These experiments are 

 not sufficient to prove that rabbits will not breed when their ears 

 are cut off, but I did not feel disposed to multiply my examples : 

 this therefore is the result, which leaves the question undecided. 

 I can assign no reason for this defect of procreation in these in- 

 stances, unless that the rabbits did not, with their ears cut off, 

 know each other to be rabbits.* Here it will perhaps be sagacious- 

 ly observed, there is no need of such a proof as this experiment 

 tends to furnish; for we see human beings variously mutilated, 

 having lost an arm, or a leg, or both arms, or both legs, getting 

 perfect children every day. This is true, but is no parallel to my 

 experiment : for if the father of a child has no arms, the mother has, 

 and either parent can furnish the radicles of resembling structures. 

 If the annals of human procreation, which are tolerably diversified, 

 can furnish any instance in which both parents has lost both fags, 

 l)oth arms, or both ears, or had no teeth, such an instance, if 1 had 

 been acquainted with it, would have superseded the necessity of my 

 experiment ; which, as it failed, the subject to which it refers re- 

 mains to be discussed upon the few imperfect data which are 

 currently known* 



42. Every part of the mother possesses its organic spirit ; 

 every muscle, every bone, every nerve, every artery, every particle, 

 have their organic spirit; by it they are produced, maintained, and 

 governed; all these are possessed likewise by the ovum. Now these 

 parts of the entric organic spirit are modified in their several seats ; 

 that is, where they produce different phenomena: and their seats 

 are, respectively, fixed with precision; or else we should every now 

 and then find toes in the stomach, nails on the forehead, liver in the 

 hands, kidneys on the face, &c. The parts then of the spirit, or its 

 several modifications, have their respective seats. 



* Let it be borne in mind in the subsequent discussion that only one result 

 of this experiment can be conclusive : that is, if the offspring should be de- 

 ficient in ears, it will prove the derivation of the ovum from the precise seats 

 of properties in the mother; if the offspring should possess ears, they may in 

 like manner be obtained by derivation from those undeveloped properties which 

 exist in amputated surfaces and afterwards are exhibited by the production 

 of new growths. For the elucidation of this note the chapter on Growth is 

 to be consulted. 



