480 The “ Woman’s Rights’ ” Question [October, 
essence of all advance to a higher stage of being, save 
differentiation ? We see what was at first homogeneous, 
uniform in structure, become resolved into distinct tissues 
and members. We see functions, which in some rudimentary 
state were jointly exercised by the whole body of an animal, 
gradually allotted out to special organs, and during and in 
consequence of this very specialisation acquiring a far higher 
degree of perfection than they heretofore possessed. Look 
at the first rudimentary state — germ, seed, or ovum — of the 
plant or animal, and compare it with the mature organism 
to which it ultimately gives rise. What was one has become 
manifold ; what was simple is now highly complex. The 
globule of albuminoid matter has developed into distinct 
members — sense-apparatus, organs respiratory, digestive, 
circulatory, locomotive, &c. — each of which has a separate 
task to fulfil, and is distinctly organised for that very pur- 
pose. It is no departure from our subjedt to remark that 
though in the organic body one organ may, under certain 
circumstances, undertake the duties of another, such vi- 
carious adtion involves grave peril to the organ concerned 
and to the entire animal. Perhaps the world may yet find 
that the analogy between the individual and mankind holds 
good in this respedt, and that a social congestion may follow 
from the movement we are examining. 
To return : the increase of size which distinguishes the 
butterfly from the egg, or the oak from the acorn, is a trifling 
feature compared with the accompanying differentiation- 
chemical, morphological, and functional — which has taken 
place. 
If we pass from a consideration of the individual plant or 
animal to a survey of the entire organic realms we find, as 
we advance from the humblest and meanest beings to the 
highest, merely a repetition of the same great fadt. At the 
one extremity of the scale — if this expression may still be 
used — we find beings whose senses, such as they are, must 
be exercised by the whole external surface of the body, those 
more special functions which we know as sight, hearing, &c., 
being still identical with feeling. No distindt nervous sys- 
tem, still less definite nerve-centres, can be traced. Nor are 
there any organs specially devoted to the processes of 
respiration, circulation, digestion, &c. A common internal 
cavity takes the place, and in a crude way fulfils the duties 
of all these parts. Externally the same uniformity prevails ,* 
there are no limbs, no members exclusively constructed for 
locomotion in any of its modes, or for prehension. The 
animal moves by elongating and contracting its whole body, 
