546 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 692 



account for the correlation between parent 

 and offspring in characters subject to fluctua- 

 ting variation, if such variations are not 

 transmitted. In reply to this I wish to say, 

 that / do account for this by the assumption 

 of hereditary transmission : however, such 

 cases should be carefully ascertained, prefer- 

 ably by experiment, in order to remove all 

 reasonable doubt as to the fact of the re- 

 appearance, in the offspring, of such fluctu- 

 ating variations, which appeared first in the 

 parents. 



I have expressed the opinion that normally, 

 in fluctuating variation, this will not be the 

 case, simply because it is to be assumed that 

 the cause of the fluctuating variation will not 

 persist through many generations, so that any 

 tendency toward inheritance, even if present, 

 will soon be counterbalanced and paralyzed 

 by the opposite tendency of variation. Per- 

 manent, hereditary variations are only to be 

 expected if the variation of the environment 

 keeps on in the same direction, that is to say, 

 when it ceases to be a " fluctuation," and 

 becomes a " mutation " (in von Waagen's 

 sense). 



Eecently, Dr. D. T. MacDougaP has pro- 

 posed to settle the question of " inheritance of 

 acquired characters " by experiment, and, hy 

 restoring at the end of the experiment the 

 original conditions, he intends to show 

 " whether the changes in question are irre- 

 versible or not." However, I do not think 

 that the " inheritance of acquired characters " 

 will be disproved, when the effect of the 

 changed conditions " finally disappears, when 

 the inciting causes are removed." Indeed, 

 this should he the case. MacDougal hints at 

 the existence of examples, in which the 

 " effect endures for a few generations," and 

 this is all we reasonably may expect under 

 such conditions; and if the experiment has 

 been made on scientific lines, we are fully 

 justified to quote such cases in support of the 

 " inheritance of acquired characters." 



MacDougal (p. 122) finds that the phrase 

 " inheritance of acquired characters " is so 

 vague that he has difficulties in properly de- 



fining it. But the conditional definition he 

 gives, that it might mean " that an organism 

 makes adaptive^ response to its environment 

 . . . and that the continuance of the stimulus 

 . . . results in heritable and irreversible' 

 modifications " is surely incorrect. To my 

 knowledge, none of the advocates of the theory 

 of the " inheritance of acquired characters," 

 in its modern form, ever expressed the opinion 

 that the responses of an organism to the 

 environment are always " adaptive," or that 

 they are " irreversible," when transmitted. 

 The phrase " inheritance of acquired char- 

 acters " does not need any special definition, 

 since it means exactly what the words say, 

 and since none of the words has an ambiguous 

 meaning, preeminently so in its application to 

 biology. 



A. E. Ortmann 

 Carnegie Museum, 

 Pittsburg, Pa., ; 



February 10, 1908 



TO REDUCE SEASICKNESS TO A MIKIMUM 



Eeduce the system to an alkaline condition. 

 This must be done under the advice of a 

 physician. The urine must be tested two or 

 three weeks before going on board ship. The 

 normal urinary acidity is from thirty to forty 

 degrees. If below thirty, the acid is not 

 eliminated. If above forty, the kidneys are 

 not carrying away all that is in the system. 

 In either case it should be reduced by giving 

 saline waters and antacid treatment. The 

 indican, if any, must also be reduced. Clean 

 out the system thoroughly. Before going on 

 board ship or before the ship leaves the dock, 

 take a strip of soft flannel about six inches 

 wide and three yards long, wrap it around the 

 abdomen and stomach tightly. This will pre- 

 vent the movement of the internal organs 

 which affect the nervous system. Eat little 

 on board ship and avoid all acids, fruits, 

 salads, beers, wines, etc. Those persons hav- 

 ing acid diathesis must not drink lemonade, 

 tea or coffee. Hot water is to be preferred. 



Eugene S. Talbot, M.D. 



'Science, January 24, 1908, p. 123. 



' The italics are mine. 



