﻿FOURTH 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  I907 
  1 
  47 
  

  

  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- 
  

  

  