110 BJEVERSION, NOT A LAW, SUI GENERIS. 



integrity of the organism has been impaired; and, 

 "the coordinating power of the organization" has 

 repaired such integrity. Darwin speaks of this power, 

 as the 



" Reparative power which is common, in a higher 

 or lower degree, to all organic beings, and which was 

 formerly designated by physiologists as the nisus for- 

 mativus" (p. 353, Vol. ii, Animals and Plants, &c). 



Now, Reversion is, essentially, the same power. It is 

 but a manifestation of the same law; only, not occur- 

 ring in the same generation, with that in which the 

 integrity of the organism, was impaired. The only 

 difference is, that, in the case of reintegration of tissue, 

 in the case of repair of wounds, and in the reproduc- 

 tion of a lost limb, the impaired integrity, consequent, 

 respectively, upon the disintegration of the tissue, 

 upon the infliction of the wound, and upon the dis- 

 memberment, is immediately retrieved; while, in Re- 

 version, the return to such state of integrity, is deferred, 

 for one or more generations, owing to unfavorable 

 conditions, — the same conditions, generally, which 

 entailed the loss, or the reduction, of the given part. 

 The relation which Reversion bears to the healing 

 of a wound, is, essentially, that which this same 

 healing, when attended by inflammation, bears to 

 this same healing, when it is effected by what is 

 termed, "first intention." As, the immediate healing 

 of a wound has been thus termed ; and, as it is mani- 

 festly implied, that healing, by inflammation, may be 

 called healing by second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or 

 twentieth intention; so, Reversion might consistently 



