, 1873-07-13

AAN eFoAAtAoA sQIOA$} AlOAc CQ4ll4UHlf huUHA
as Darwinism, has become tho loading topic Of
scientific investigation and strife. Aud vol It
may DO. for, IT truo it H tho most atartllng dis
covery ever maao, transconding in Importance
ovon those OF Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton.
II man is simply tho result Of "doyelopmont"
from an extinct fish Of q former geological
period, or II 1o is development of any
kind from any other animal than himsolf,
thoro ia unfoldod to us a scheme Of tic universe
as difforont from our proconcoptionB aa tho aolar
system of Newton is different from that of
Ptolemy. II ia perfectly oortain TINT the con-
troversy now raging betwoon Agassiz md his
allios, on tho ono hand, and Darwin and his
diRoiples, on the other, will 60 on until one
or tho other ehall havo achieved sub
Rtantial victory, or until eaoh shall
havo permanently puzzled the other. Tho
Popular Science Monthly is thoroughly irn-
bued with Darwinisn1, aud Prof. Youmans it's
editor. fights ita battles with q foryor worthy
Of bossor cause than that Of proving his
rornoto ancestors to haye been apos.
Prof. Marsh, Of Yalc, is dolying into
the unosplorod realms Of pnloontology
to find material that will 'fll up tho gap.''
Agassz has lattor]y stood alone among tho emil
nent sarans III opposition to tho doctrine, though
1t was lie who demonstrated tho likonosp to tho
fish, reptile, and bird in tho development Of tho
human embryo.
4 now combatant has now appeared in the por-
8on of DR.. O. D. Radcliffe who has delivered
2 lecture bofore tho Royal Collogch of Ply
sicians in England on tho subject, and
printed 1t In the London Lancet. DR.. Radclifros
vlows have tho gronter force In that ho ngroos
largely with Norbert Spencor'a evolution philoso-
ply, aud sympatllizes with the doctrine Of unity
in mattor aud spirit. Ho does not beieyo, low-
ever, that this principle Of unity justifios Mr,
Darwin'B genoralzatlous TINT ouo organ ia do
velopod into anothor organ, or ono animal or
Plant into anothor animal or plaut, He holds
that, II there s any connection botweon
them, tho idea Of unity rondogs tho no.
ceptanco Of tho evolution theory tho moro
difficult uo agroes with Prof. Agassiz
that the process OF tho development in tho en-
bryonic life OF higher animalB does not prove
TINT theso higher animals pasaod through s,,c-
cesslon OF different animals each little moro
perfect than its predeceasors. Tleso rosem-
blances-always moro or less romote-aro not
realities, but simply bear witneas to tho unity
Of plan in all forms OF animal 1to An argu-
mont which Dr.. Radcliffe makes that will COM
mend issolf readily to tho ordinary understands
ing is, that man, In hfs struggle for lifo, "haB
nover turned Lin opportunities for natural solec-
ton so fur to account as to mako oyon
tho alightoat advance toward physical improve
mont" Tho fact seems to DO that tue physical
condition Of man has retrogradod, il wo taho
muscular prowess, powor OF endurance, lealth-
fulnoss, and longevity as fair points Of compari-
aon.
The most formidable opposition Which tho
eyolutioniats hayo to encounter is In the con-
Htant oYidonco Of backward movements "a clear
and plain as that Of progression. DR.. Radclfro
rofers to como peculiar instances, Tho breed-
ing of tho pigeon PRODUCES ohaugos which
constitute diffcsont Varieties, though these
ehaugoa neyor 60 10 far rs to mako |
up now spocies, But II tho yarietjey
*A4H fASAA~oA AAo AAIOntA " thA4 LuGlT 1Ru |
course for few generations, tho rosult is 3 ro-
turn to tho common pigeon, and perhaps to tho
wild variety. 80 tho dog may DO modified In |
general charactor, but ho also ret,lrns to tho
primitive condition it lot alone. Dr.. Radcliffe
cites tho infertillty OF tho mulo as the indication
OF barrier between different spocios Of ami |
mals which prevents QUO from passing Into tho |
other. So, in tho case Of tho simplest forms OF |
life, tho bacteria, Which mny bo doyeloped |
from what is to all appearances inorganic Life.
become unstable In tho higher forms Of existence |
aud bEosk up again into bacterial units. Thus
tho rotrograde movement Is aa clearly naked as
tho progressive movement Nor does D.. Rad.
cllffe think that tho faots Of astronomy aud
geology usually olsod In favor Of tho evolution
theory give 1t any permanent support, The
nobular hypothesis, which had much to do with
formulating the theory, Ao III inopued to regard ag
exceedingly nebulous and hypothetical. 10 tue
geological proofs ho makos answer that tho eua-