DISCUSSION 153 



regarded as ' dwindled organs,' the remains from 

 previous phylogenetic periods. He refers to Wieders- 

 heim's work on the subject, for Wiedersheim has 

 proved this fact in a most admirable manner so 

 admirable a manner, we may add, that as long ago 

 as 1892 Hamann wrote a most crushing criticism 

 upon his fantastic opinions. 1 



Von Hansemann lays particular stress upon the 

 vermiform appendix as an instance of a rudimentary 

 formation in man. It seems to him improbable 

 that inflammation of the appendix occurs less 

 frequently among savages than among ourselves, 

 but he wishes for information on the subject. 



Darwin and his followers believe this ver- 

 miform appendix to be of great importance in 

 determining the history of the human race, 

 and so I may make a few remarks upon it here. 

 (Cf. my third lecture, p. 65.) 



Prominent pathologists of the present day 

 believe that the appendix, with its abundant 

 lymphatic tissue, is of the same kind of use to 

 the intestine, as the tonsils are to the palate. 

 Formerly we used to hear that the appendix 

 was of no use at all, and it was condemned 

 simply as being ' rudimentary,' but now it is 

 generally recognised that it probably has some 

 definite function to perform with reference to 

 the intestine, although the nature of this 



1 See my Biology and Theory of Evolution, p. 451 et seq. 



