LAMARCK' S THEORY OF EVOLUTION 



239 



presents in each organic kingdom, finally to certain 

 changes which are seen to be undergone in certain 

 circumstances, we are convinced : 



" I. That the nature of organic movement is not 

 only to develop the organization but also to multiply 

 the organs and to fulfil the functions, and that at 

 the outset this organic movement continually tends 

 to restrict to functions special to certain parts the 

 functions which were at first general — i.e., common to 

 all parts of the body ; 



" 2. That the result of nutrition is not only to 

 supply to the developing organization what the or- 

 ganic movement tends to form, but besides, also by 

 a forced inequality between the matters which are 

 assimilated and those which are dissipated by losses, 

 this function at a certain term of the duration of life 

 causes a progressive deterioration of the organs, so that 

 as a necessary consequence it inevitably causes death ; 



" 3. That the property of the movement of the 

 fluids in the parts which contain them is to break out 

 passages, places of deposit, and outlets ; to there 

 create canals and consequently different organs ; to 

 cause these canals, as well as the organs, to vary on 

 account of the diversity both of the movements and 

 of the nature of the fluids which give rise to them ; 

 finally to enlarge, elongate, to gradually divide and 

 solidify [the walls of] these canals and these organs 

 by the matters which form and incessantly separate 

 the fluids which are there in movement, and one part 

 of which is assimilated and added to the organs, 

 while the other is rejected and cast out ; 



" 4. That the state of organization in each organism 

 has been gradually acquired by the progress of the 

 influences of the movement of fluids, and by those 

 changes that these fluids have there continually under- 

 gone in their nature and their condition through the 

 habitual succession of their losses and of their re- 

 newals ; 



