Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-06-12
SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY.
DarWIn,s Theory.

I Translated for The eek from the German
4 Of Prof. Taegen.l
In no department of natural science
! does real scientific work, /. e., the
investigation of the phenomena of
existence meet with greater obstacles,
than in that of the animal and vege-
table kingdoms. independently of
the unsOlved problem Of life, and of
! the still more ineOmprehensible one
of psychological life the animated
world presents such a confusing num-
Der of forms, that it requires an i'm
mense amount of labor only to gain a
survey of the material. This has
I lasted so long that many biologists
I and botanists have entirely forgotten
what they labored for, and what was
the true object Of their science. 1t is
| true that since the times of the old
/ Greek, Egyptian, and Indian philo-
sOphieal schools, there never has been
a want of men who have endeavored,
on some basis, to satisfy the persist
ent demands of science to reduce
quantity to unity, the vast number
Of phenomena to the few causes to
whose manifold concatenation they
owe their existence. But the follow
ing difficulties have always obstrueted
the progress Of biology: 45.
Although in all dOminions Of inor-
ganic nature, the theory Of every sci
ence, that the reduction Of manifold
causes 10 a few efficient ones would
succeed, was brilliantly verified, and
though no one doubted that the inor-
ganic objects of nature owed their
present form and condition to a pro-
cess of development from a lower
state in the organic world; this uni
Yersally supposed principle of every
science was always rejected as an
unfounded hypothesis. As long as
this continued, not even beginning
of true scientific lobOr could be made
in the department Of zoology and
| botany. The high renoHn of Darwin
consists in giving lasting value to
scientific views and Investigations in
that department of the-organie world,
which includes the highest scientific
problems, and in so raising zoology,
botany, and anthropOlogy 70 a stand
ing equally high with other sciences.
He effected this by pointing out some
causes which must lead, in time, with
mathematical certainty to an increase
of the number of forms in the animal
and vegetable Kingdoms, and ike
wise BY proving that just those
changes are now taking place in ami
NAL and vegetable forms which con-
stituted the most important results in
the Investigations Of petrifaetions.
This proof often attempted, but never
before demonstrated, is in as direct
opposition to the previously accepted
theory of the absolute invariability of
the animal and plant species, as the
proof of Galileo that the earth moved
was to the old Ptolemaie theory.
1t must be understood, however,
that the evidences which Darwin has
given have not, as many superficial
heads believed, altogether solved the
great problem of the origin of the
organic world, and left nothing mex
plicable in this dominion Of nature.
The assertion of this latter especially
has caused great, although Uery ttIlylec-
essdrg, alarm amongst the represen-
tatives of religion; ; unnecessary, be-
cause ample room is left for the
admission of a ruling creative power,
which is beyond an direct observa-
tion: and because even still greater
discoveries in the field Of organic life
can never overthrow the religious
needs of mankind. In these needs,
and not in the ever-changing views
of natural science and results Of re-
searches religion is rooted, and this is
an immovable underground.
Two things have to be strictly sepa-
rated in DarWin's theory. The first
is the already-mentioned principle.
by no means new, that the organic
world, which at present is composed
of hundreds of thousands of appa-
rently immutable species, which show
every possible grade of organization,
was originally more simply consti-
tuted that the species in the course
of genealogical processes must have
been subjected to variations; that
therefore q development of species
from other undoubtedly more simply
constructed species took place; and
unally that the whole organic world
was developed from the inorganic
world, is q conclusion at which all
rejecting minds arrived in all times.
The latter view We see already ex-
pressed in the Holy Scriptures, . God
created man from the dust OF the
EARTH"
The second and Ret0 part Of Oar
wins theory is the pointing ont OF
the cSuses which lead sometimes sud
denly, sometimes gradually, to varia-
tions Of species Of animals and plants.
Thispsrt is called the theory of trans
mutation. It is briefly this: The
individuals of an animal or plant
species are not exactly alike, and this
is. in reference to the self-preseryation
of these individuals, not unimpOr-
tant, for the following reasons Every
species Of animals and plants pro-
duces such a vast number Of offspring,
that only q small fraction of these can
arrive at a mature age, simply for
want Of care and nOurishnlent. The
attainment Of maturity, and the sue
cess of propagation is for each being
the result of a struggle for eTistence,
in which only a few are victorious,
but the larger part perish. The men
toned differences are decidedly i'm
pOrtant in determining which OF
them will stand the combat or be
conquered, and will attain higher or
lower vitality. This principle can be
stated in this way: Amongst the diff
ferent individuals of a species is made
a certain selection during the Struggle
for existence, which Darwin calls
=. natural selection" because the pro-
cess is exactly the same as the aTti-
fetal selectiOnn long praetieed by
raisers of animals and plants. The
healthiest, strongest, best adapted for
propagation are chosen, and the
weaker destroyed.
The differences between natural and
artificial selection is this: The object
of the first is only to guarantee pres
ervation of species by the acquisition
of fac ulties and qualities most suitable
for the relative conditions Of exist
enee. The object of natural selection
is the best possible adaptation Of the
animal or plant to its surroundings.
The object Of artificial selection is the
intention to give the animal species
the highest attainable degree OF per
feetion.
These points are clear in themselves
and not susceptible of any doubt.
Just as free from contradiction IL the
fact that the animal and plant species
comply with the artificial selection OF
man, that is, change their qualities
actually and idstingg. To give only
two examples: At the beginning Of
this century, in the state OF Prussia,
the weight of COW of medium size
was four hundred pounds, now it is
seven. The fruit of the wild goose
berry weighs one hundred and twenty
grains; in the year l7S6 the highest
-