274 Theories Treating of Inheritance 
not only in the form of cells but also in their mode of 
activity. Now what is the nature of these differences? 
We do not know. Are they physical in character? 
That would be hard to believe, because of the difference 
of the chemical excreta of these elements. If the dif- 
ferences are of chemical nature they must leave uninjured 
the hereditary patrimony (the living substance similar 
at all points of the organism). Now it is entirely impos- 
sible that quantitative variations can be produced in the 
elements, and leave untouched a quantitative character 
already present. Perhaps there is properly speaking no 
quantitative variation, but only a modification in the 
nature of the non-living accessory substances which fill 
out the aggregate at different points of the organism 
according to the special conditions obtaining at these 
points. To all these questions we have as yet no 
answer.” 207 
Before we leave this investigator we must bring up 
one last point, namely: the logical necessity which forces 
him to regard the living substance as similar at all points 
of the organism. According to him, this conception is 
a logical consequence of the inheritance of acquired 
characters which he holds as a fact already proved 
beyond a doubt. For, says he, let us consider any given 
morphological variation acquired by the organisin and 
transmissible to its descendant. And let us assume that 
the hereditary patrimony, i. e. the living substance (@ ), 
originally common to all elements of the individual by 
descent from the egg, can, under the influence of the 
morphological variation experienced by the latter, have 
been replaced, here by a different substance ( @), there 
*°7Le Dantec: Ibid. P. 461—462. 
