ORIGIN OF MALFORMATIONS IN GERM-PLASM 169 



be acknowledged that the difficulty is not by any means overcome ; for 

 the nervous system can only communicate nervous waves, and not morpho- 

 logical characters. In order that a character may be hereditarily trans- 

 mitted, it is essential that it should affect the germ-cells ; it follows that only 

 those influences can exercise any racial influence which are general — that 

 is to say, which affect the reproductive cells along with the rest of the 

 organism. The amputation of an arm affects the cells of the arm, but 

 cannot possibly affect the reproductive cells ; its influence is merely local, 

 and not general. 



But are teratologioal malformations merely local ? We have said that 

 such malformations can only manifest themselves on morbid ground, and 

 such is undoubtedly the case. It may be regarded as proved that terato- 

 logioal characters are to be found only where a defective organisation 

 already exists as an antecedent condition. This fact gives us a solution 

 of the problem. Let us admit, to take an example, that a regressive and 

 pathological variation has set ia in a family as the result of a movement 

 among the determinants of the germ-plasm. This variation need not 

 necessarily affect the whole germ-plasm ia an equal degree. It may affect 

 more especially a particular group of determinants, the variation of which 

 wiU result iu some pathological feature, such as a cyst or a fistula. We 

 may suppose, for instance, that the pathological determinants of the 

 auditory meatus may attain, after a certain time, sufficient strength to be 

 able to transmit themselves by heredity. There is nothing impossible, 

 or even improbable, in this supposition. 



To sum up our conclusions in definite formulae, we would say : 



1. The parental germ-plasm is in each case infected, either by a bacillus 

 or by a pathological variation, which is equivalent in its results to a microbic 

 infection. 



2. This pathological variation, which affects the germ-plasm as a 

 whole, affects in an especial degree a given group of determinants — a 

 consequence of the perturbations of intragerminal nutrition. 



3. It is not proved that the somatic manifestation of the malformation 

 need be contemporaneous with the origin of the germinal infection. On 

 the contrary, it is probable that the precise moment of the commence- 

 ment of a pathological variation can never be ascertained ; it is probable 

 that the pathological variation of a group of determinants may con- 

 tinue to progress for two or three generations before manifesting itself 

 externally. 



4. Having gained, by means of intragerminal nutrition, a sufficient pre- 

 ponderance in the germ-plasm, this pathological variation of the group of 

 determinants may manifest itself as the teratologioal malformation of the 

 determinate corresponding to the group. 



5. Degenerates very frequently intermarry, for it would seem as if they 

 mutually attract one another. The teratologioal malformation, which is 



