relationships. Or perhaps it is thought 

 that in dogs, sheep, swine, and rabbits 

 the process occurs in a particular way- 

 while in humans it occurs differently. 

 Is not man a mammal? Are not the embry- 

 onic vesicles in man the same as in other 

 mammals? 



The same idea of the similarity of development of man 

 with the development of other mammals was mentioned further 

 in the text, when Baer turned to the question about the 

 formation of extremities. "Observations No. 9, 10 and 11 

 confirm that extremities of man are formed by the same law 

 as in other mammals." 



Thus, bearing in mind the report on the subject of the 

 described human embryos and in great part limited to the 

 commentaries of the observed facts, Baer did not avoid giving 

 a conclusion of great significance: that man, as repre- 

 sentative of the mammal class, in his structure and embry- 

 ological development obeys the regularities which are general 

 for all this class. 



The concluding section of Baer's major work does not 

 contain theoretical reviews and generalized conclusions. 

 This is not surprising, if we remember the history written 

 at the beginning of this chapter. Circumstances had existed 

 to prevent conclusion of the work, which led to Stieda f s 

 discovery of the papers in unfinished condition after Baer's 

 death. The work of Baer undoubtedly would have been crowned 

 with theoretical conclusions. However, the impatient publisher 

 waited in vain for thirty years of the past century. 



451 



