ANTHROPOLOGIC! L SOCIETY ry | | 
| OF WASHINGTON, D, C ) 
THE ORIGIN” OF “MAN. 
REMARKS THEREON 
BY 
PROFESSOR RUDOLPH VIRCHOW. 
As President of a gathering of the German and Vienna 
Anthropological Societies, recently held in Vienna, Professor 
Virchow made the following remarks upon the Anthro- 
pology of the last twenty years; and, considering the many 
theories in regard to the origin of man that have been 
put forward, and the far-reaching and somewhat startling 
arguments that have been founded thereon, even during the 
past few years, an English translation* of the calm utterances 
of so impartial and careful an investigator will not be deemed 
out of place in this journal. 
After alluding to the recent labours of Anthr opologists in 
Germany and Austria, Professor Virchow referred to the 
importance attached by them to the question of nationality, 
and said :— 
* You all know that from the Anthropological point of view the 
question of nationality stands in the foreground: we must 
always start from existing data; for us things do not float in the 
air, aS with the zodlogists who are concerned only with habitat, 
which has a second place with us; we Anthropologists begin with 
nationality ; until we know a person’s descent,from whom he is 
derived, and what is his origin, he is not a legitimate sabject for 
investigation. The same is true in examining every human skull. 
* From the Correspondenz-Blatt der deutschen Gesellschaft fiir Anthro- 
pologve.—Ep. 
