THE DESCENT OF MAN 65 



in such a fashion. As such, up to the present time, 

 we reckon the processus vermiformis, which so often 

 causes appendicitis. We are told that the ancestors 

 of man had a much longer intestine than we now 

 possess, and the vermiform appendix of the caecum 

 is what remains of it. It is possible that, within the 

 genus Man, in course of time gradual modification 

 of some part of the intestine may have taken place, 

 owing to change of food. We know that the 

 herbivorous animals have a much longer intestine 

 than the carnivorous, and the transition from a 

 vegetable to a meat diet may have brought about 

 a shortening of the intestine. There is much to be 

 said in favour of this explanation, and one point 

 seems to me particularly worthy of notice. The 

 peculiar pathological character of the vermiform 

 appendix is perhaps the result of the hypercivilisa- 

 tion, of the over-refined diet, of the present day. 

 It would be interesting to prove by statistics 

 whether morbid manifestations of the appendix 

 do not occur much less frequently among people 

 living more natural lives. Ellenberger has 

 recently published a work on the appendix, but I 

 am inclined to think that the last word has not yet 

 been said on the subject, and it cannot be regarded 

 as supplying any trustworthy evidence of the 

 descent of man from beasts. 1 



1 See also the remarks on von Hansemann s speech, which forms part of 

 the evening discussion (in Part n.). It would seem that the vermiform 

 appendix is not a rudimentary organ at all. 



E 



