New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-27
DlRWYlSH IN ENGLAND.



PRESIDENT.
CONCLUSION OF AZ ARGUMENT By PROF. ALLAN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS or TIE Plan or AM
NAL IIrE-rHE HYPOTHESIS OF EVOLUTION A
NECESSITY OF SCIENCE.
The following are the concluding portions of
the Presidents address delivered on the 10Th inst,
Plymouth (Eu.audJ by Prof Allan Thomson before IN,
British Association for the Advancement Of Science.
large portion Of the address was technical in its charac
acter dealing chiefly with IRE embryonic changes OF liv-
Ing forms From first TO hast The address refers to the
doctrine OF evolution OF animal life having secured
general acceptance The extract from the uii report
OF Sat,Te:
"But am warned by the apseof time that must not
attempt TO pursue these Illustrations further. In tie
statement which have made OF some Of the more re
markabIe phenomena Of suc prollctlon-.oo long,
fear for your endurance but much too brief % DO JUS
tce 70 the suhieat- las been my object mainly 20 show
that they are a more or less closely related together by
d chain Of similarity OF q very marked and unmis-
taxable character; that i'm their simplest forms
they are indeed, in so far o. our powers OF o0ser
walton enable Us % know them, identical; that
in the lower grades OF animal aud vegetable
h'e they are so similar as 20 pass, by iusgusDic erda
tous into each other and thai in the higher iorns,whc
they dvcrge vdcv in OF tAer aspects in tho
bodies bcou ine the two great kingdoms of organic
nature, aud IN the larger groups dstnsdi'labe within
each of Them get il j., stu possible Hom the iunda-
mental similarity Of the phenomena, 10 trace IN the
transitional forms Of al their varieties one great general
I'm It's Simplest ana earliest form that plan comprisesa
minute mass OF the common nitro-ruous h5drocain'u
compound 10 when the name "i piotoP'olh mas pc.H
given exhibiting ue vital properties OF aShiiaon' re
production ana ru.uNi INC rs ono ht- I ms lIa
is the nu'letted ana Mcio~tl 't,hdt'l ol IHt pIoto
pl8suic mass lu the organized cell We next recognize
Inc differentiation of two productive clements aud tneir
organizing element in tie embryonic gcrnfpA're OF CELL
and The fourth STAG o. adNduc DO lir c"ultAl OF ie
orgauiziu, phenomenal is IN he multiplication Of the Ter
tilted cmhryo-'ch and is conversion mo cohtnuoua
organized strata by further hstoOeca changes III
which the u0lnhuioEcal FOUNDATIONS OI inc Iulut GIN
bIyo new being are Laid.
Iucod not now recur TO the further series oic9upca
tons in the formative process by which me baiular
bia-todeuu IS developed, and becomes tnlauiuar or
while several states Of the pnmod ai condition OF
the ncipcnt animal pass iuscHsiby into each other
there is pcryadu similarity ia the nature Of Tie his
ent tbot ~ fbe. nroducf,o1 Of Inc endless vari-
atiOns OF form assumed by tie organs and sys-
,o1nr,crf t, ura+s Of ccil-pro lucton ruultiuic
ton and differentiation remains Identical The more
obvious mO-pho0 ci changes sire of 80 similar char
scter throughout The whole and So nearly allied IN the
different larger a1ouus that we are led regard them
placed in very close aud intimate relation 70 the
Inherent properties Of organic substance which is
their seat and cyCrpresnt influence Of tine vital c0nd
mons In which alone these properties manifest iAe!-
"Tle formative or organizing property, therefore,
SIDES the living substance OF every organized cell Hud
in each Of lis competent molecules aud is necessary
part Of the physical and chemical constitution Of te or
guliug elements IN the conditions OF life; and scarcely
needs 10 BE- said that these conditions may he s varied
a. the countless numbers ~ the molecules which COM
pose the smallest particles Of their subs Bur. set
ting aside all speculation % merely pdhEeIeec hihd "
appears to that ono could have engaged M the
study 81 embryOlOgical development for any
time without becoming convinced that tie phc-
uOmcna which have been hsccriaucd ms u
the hrst orn aud formation OF textures and organs IN
any individual animal " uniform character as
b indicate fOrcbly law Of connection aud continuity
between then; will hs study Of the phenomena ~
he is eIualy troncly con WINGED of tine similar = plan
IN the deyclo mcut OF the larger groups, some
extent OF the hole Ieonsder II impossible crfpre,
for any ono 10 DE faithful student OF emnryol-
Ogy, I'm the present state OF science, without NJ the
same time becoming an eyOluuOuist. There may
still be many difficulties, some inconsistencies, ana
which shall never know; but cannot conceive any
doctrine protesting 20 bring the phenomena OF embryonic
development within general law when is not, like the
theory Of Darwin, consistent with their fundamental
identify their endless variability, their suhugttUu 10
varying external influences aud conditions, aud with the
possibility OF the transmission Of the vital conditions and
Individual and, in the long lapse Of ages, r. race 10
race.
Il regard exaggerated representation
Of the present state knowledge o. .} MAT thc
togeuciic development OF the individual Ia the higher
animals repeats ia ITS more general character aud Ia
many OF It's specific phenomena. the phyogeueuc dcycl
Opmcnt OF tue race II We admit Inc progressive nature
u the change, OF Development ther similarity h dlutr-
cIt groups ana their common characters 10 al animals,
nay even respects IN both plants and animals,
Nc eau scarcely refuse ~ recognize thc possibility OF con
ever may be- 10y reason az the impefcct0n Of
knowledge or ptlt1utoiOCy, comparative anatomy and
embIyolOyy, from realizing Tie precise nature Of the
cham or connection by which the rctutl desc M mas
taken place. still There be little d0upt remaining in
the inds OF any unpreiudccd student Of embry0OCy
that Is only by the employment OF such an hypothesis
several departments viii he promoted 10 bring
10 o fuller comprehension OF the most general law which
regulates the adaptation OF structure 10 junction ma the
universe