248 DR. CARUS ON THE KINGDOMS OF NATURE, 
development of the organs of generation,) is united by means of the 
stem to the root, which is held in connexion with the organism of the 
earth. It is also remarkable, that in the foetus the direction of the de- 
velopment from the insertion of the umbilical cord is upwards, as we 
see in the plant that the flower is directed upwards from the insertion 
of the stalk. For instance, the anthers are never turned back toward 
the stem and the fruit-germ, or directed downwards, but on the con- 
trary are invariably and wholly directed upwards, unless the flower- 
stalk and fruit-germ are turned downwards, in which case they also are 
directed downwards with them. This explains the development of the 
vertebral column into the head, in which the flower of the collected ani- 
mal organization appears as completely as the flower of the egg does in 
the entire foetus. This fact is still more clearly observable in the cen- 
tral structure of the vertebral column, viz. the spinal marrow, the fibres 
of which we see more perfectly developing themselves as they ascend 
upwards, till they terminate in the perfect and noble formation of the 
brain. 
This direction of development in the foetus, the truth of which is 
most clearly established by many physiological as well as pathological ob- 
servations, is also indicated by the position of the entire foetus, n which 
we find the head usually turned downwards, but the lower extremity 
turned toward the insertion of the umbilical cord; in the same man- 
ner as the flower of the plant, and the head of the more perfect animal, 
rise upwards from the ground. Moreover, that the greater weight of 
the head which occasions it to sink downwards in the uterus is not the 
only use of that position of the foetus, is evident from the parturition 
of the quadruped mammalia, since although their standing on four 
feet must prevent the operation of such a cause, they nevertheless bring 
forth their young with the head (nay even with the face) forwards. 
We can here give but general outlines of the further development 
of the different systems and organs formed in the foetus; and with 
respect to the systems belonging to the animal side of the animal 
body, and which corresponds to the light side of the plant, we ob- 
serve that from their constituting the parts originally turned toward 
the outer world, they are endowed with a tendency to develop their 
structure in a direction radiating outwards from an internal cen- 
tre; for which reason we see the nervous system form itself as the 
radii of a central mass (the brain and the spinal marrow), which de- 
velops itself with a perfection continually increasing in proportion as 
the radiation outwards increases; we see also the ends of the nerves 
forming themselves either into the organs of sensation, or, as being de- 
stined to re-act upon external objects, inserting themselves into the 
molecular mass of the animal; so that these molecules, disposed into 
muscular fibres, are drawn, sometimes more and sometimes less 
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