FOURTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I907 I47 



family or an entire class of organisms. Such effects may be re- 

 stricted to only a part or certain parts of an organism and special 

 degenerate organs are recognized throughout the higher forms of 

 nature. 



Degeneration follows adaptation. It may be primarily the 

 result of special adaptation in the individual for its own protection 

 producing no more than a condition of fixation. This is degen- 

 eracy in essence because it involves dependence. Discovered and 

 perfected by the organism as helpful against its enemies or in the 

 winning of food, it continues into atrophy of organs no longer needed ; 

 such atrophy once begun extends to other organs as the adaptation 

 and dependence become more complete, till in the end all the organs 

 in succession become involved in accordance with the lessened 

 demand upon them; the alimentary, the locomotive, the sensory, 

 all except those involving the function of reproduction. Nature 

 is permeated with such degeneration. Few, probably no members 

 of the whole vast fauna and flora of the earth are free of the bond 

 of supporting others at the cost of their own effort and vitality. 

 From the protozoa and bacteria to man and the oak every greater 

 or less division of nature is riddled with these dependent or- 

 ganisms. 



The path of evolution is specialization, chiefly by adaptation; 

 only occasionally is evolution progress. The upward march of 

 organic nature is before the eye, palpable, pleading and perspica- 

 cious, but degeneracy is largely unseen, impalpable, sequestered 

 and ignored. Often though expressed openly, even throughout 

 great natural divisions, it is not apprehended. Progress involves 

 complication of structure ; simplicity of structure too often means 

 derivation by degeneration from the complex rather than initiation 

 of upward advance. 



The total result of degeneracy in nature and in human society 

 presents itself to us as the outgrowth of a primitive miscarriage 

 in the normal upward trend of nature which has grown in 

 intensity with the passage of time till now it presents to the phil- 

 osophic mind the appalling condition of a widespread downward 

 impetus throughout the living world whose tendency is to under- 

 mine that which still stands upright. Degenerative tendencies in 

 organic and in social life increase and intensify by their own 

 impetus, like a stone rolling down hill. It has not been shown 

 that there is in nature any power to redeem itself when degenera- 



