Anderson, Some aspects of Variation. nie 



roots and stems. Animals are known that have great powers of 

 reproduetion contained in unlikely tissnes. Germ cells lurk about 

 in all sorts of places. Then instances are well-known where local 

 ganglia (of the chief or a subsidiary) nervous System may control 

 the nutrition. Local ganglia, for instance, in Crustaceans thus 

 produce autonomy. The spinal cord, if injured may cause local 

 ulceration (Brown-Sequard). Local inj ury of the cerebral cortex 

 may cause ulceration of the skin and distal irritation of nerves, 

 may cause erythematous affections of the skin. The alimentary 

 canal nerve disturbance affects often voluntary muscles, the heart 

 and other parts, and disturbance of the skin or muscles affects 

 sometimes the alimentary canal. Blood distribution and pressure 

 affects parts locally and distally (nerves and tissues). The ner- 

 vous System itself may have its sphere of Operations enlarged or 

 curtailed, and the tissues may be permitted to enjoy the aid of 

 wandering cytodes, that may materially enlarge the powers of 

 these tissues or alter or curtail their power. Speculations are apt 

 to prove abortive unless they are easily tested, so one must limit 

 one's purview, and attention must be confined to something that 

 is easily tested. A useful test is the application of each of a series 

 of principles that have been applied again and again with success. 

 Amonget these are the principles of least power, least time, least 

 energy, least waste, and least stimulas. The principle of associa- 

 tion becomes inscrutable in some organisms, and the principle that 

 living organisms may learn advantageously to use the forces in 

 nature. The power of resistance to a force means that an orga- 

 nism may contrive consciously, or unconsciously, to use a part of 

 those forces, that might be obliterated if applied in the aggregate, 

 to manufacture a substance that may render these very forces 

 nugatory or less pronounced. Professor Weismann long ago 

 insisted upon the two factors at work in producing varieties, the 

 nature of the organism, and the nature of the factors. Darwin 

 fully realized the importance of the Variation in the organism reac- 

 ting on the germ or sperm glands. Whatwer the result is, there 

 arise endless varieties, which are difficult or impossible to aecount 

 for in most cases the nature of the conditions is of subordinate 

 importance in comparison with the nature of the organism in 

 determining each particular form of Variation". ,,Perhaps of not 

 more importance than the. nature of the spark, by which" a mass 

 of combustive matter if ignited, has in determining the nature of 

 the flame" (Darwin). It is often with organized beings, in 

 regard to nature, a question of ,,neck or nothing". It becomes a 

 question of adaptibility and of a sense of power to appropriate 

 or convert an otherwise destruetive force. Jake the appropriation 

 of light, one knows that light has power to change certain che- 

 mical substances, to alter colours sc. A plant uses up this energy 

 to provide stores of food for future use. Heat, also destruetive, 



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