THE EVOLUTION OF MAN 



If we now try to get a conception of the worm 

 in its lowest stage, we will find that its structure 

 is wonderfully simple. Imagine for a moment 

 that one limb after the other, one organ after 

 another, is cut away from a man, arms and legs, 

 the head, the spinal cord, the blood system, all the 

 parts and organs between the stomach and skin, 

 and that nothing remains finally but this skin and 

 a stomach fitting it closely. Furthermore, let the"! 

 (rectum be closed, which gave to the higher or- | 

 Jganized worm the form of a hose, and only one i 

 ( opening remains for both assimilation and excre-l 

 tion. 



Now such animals actually exist on the lowest 

 plane of worm life. In certain jelly-fish, there 

 lives a little parasite named Pemmatodiscus, 

 which is literally composed of nothing but skin 

 and digestive tract. There is also another animal 

 in our 'fresh waters which is a little above this 

 stage, the so-called Hydra. In the case of the 

 Hydra, its lower end has grown fast to the soil, 

 while its mouth is surrounded by fine tentacles, 

 and a few other details are slightly better de- 

 veloped. Might it be possible that we could fol- 

 low man down to this stage ? 



We sometimes speak of a man who consists 

 only of "skin and bones." Well, that would still 



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