4 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
in fact amount to the production of a veritable homunculus; a manikin 
molecularly preformed in shape and otherwise, awaiting to be enlarged 
to adult stature by mere interstitial fissiparous division of his constituent 
gemmules. And what strange powers are furthermore summoned into 
existence to evolutionally marshal the host of self-multiplying gemmules. 
Occult powers unheard of in nature are here invented to serve a physical 
purpose. The explanatory machinery turns out to be far more mysteri¬ 
ous than what it is called upon to explain. Pangenesis is thus proved to 
be utterly inefficient to solve the secret of reproduction.* 
Yet, nevertheless, if we start with the conception that the complex 
organism is but an aggregate of autonomous cell-beings, it seems to fol¬ 
low with necessity that in order to be reproduced, each of these separate 
beings has to send a separate germ of itself into the general or collective 
germ-cell. Pangenesis seems to be thus inevitably implied in the cell 
theory. 
It will, however, presently be shown, that Weismann and his followers 
attempt to circumvent this logical implication of the cell theory by ad¬ 
vancing a theory of original and continuous preformation of all develop¬ 
mental agencies in the reproductive germ itself. 
Here I may be allowed to remark that my own biological studies have 
led me long ago to the definite, and I believe demonstrable conclusion, 
that the complex organism is not, as generally believed, composed of 
myriads of autonomous elementary beings; but that it constitutes, in 
truth, a single, indiscerptible vital unit. Of this, however, later on. 
Haeckel, Darwin’s illustrious pupil, excuses himself for being com¬ 
pelled to antagonize his master’s hypothesis of Pangenesis by advancing 
a hypothesis of his own which he calls Perigenesis, or more explicitly 
Perigenesis of the Plastidule. This is meant to imply genesis of the 
elementary constituents of the organism, and reproduction of the entire 
organism, by means of a complex configuration of wave-motions. 
Haeckel starts likewise from the foundation afforded by the cell theory. 
In introducing his hypothesis of Perigenesis he says: “We have to re¬ 
gard the microscopical cells as independent vital beings, as physiologic¬ 
ally and morphologically autonomous.’’ “The higher organism forms 
thus a social unity, a state whose sundry citizens are the cells.’’ 
The germ-cell is conceived by Haeckel as being composed of an aggre¬ 
gate of equal vital molecules. These molecules are held to be of an ex¬ 
ceedingly complex nature. He calls them plastidules, and .maintains that 
it is the variously definite modes of their grouping that gives rise to the 
differentiation of the cells and the tissues constituting the complex or¬ 
ganism. 
*For a more explicit criticism of Pangenesis see Jenaische Zeitschrift fiir 
Naturwissenschaft, vol. xviii, page 701. 
