The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-02-13
For the Central Presbyterian. &.
Evolution of Mana New De-
parture.


as many persons suppose. The theory
that the monkey is the real form of the
ancestry of our bastard human species
did not originate with Darwin. The
same theory was vigorously advocated in
France, by Lamarck, at the beginning of
the present century, more than eighty
three years ago; and one theoriSt after
another has been laboring ever since to
patch up the deficiencies in the doctrine,
and to widen and strengthen the fimsy
foundation on which it rests.
They attempt to bring in science to
their aid, and hence people have gotten
into the habit of calling them scientists.
1t would certainly be more appropriate
to designate them as theorists most
OF them at least.
Darwin was great in science so long as
he kept within its legitimate limits So
is Huxley as long as he avoids the field
OF mere speculation. But these great
men-great in their appropriate spheres
of labor-have presented examples of
very remotely probable speculations,
which many younger and less able the
orists are constantly trying to initiate.
Among the disciples of the school of
Lamarck and Darwin is correspondent
of the american Naturalist of January
last, who claims to have discovered what
he calls, disadvantages of the upright
position in man, such as to place his
derivation from quadrupedal form be-
yond dispute and from this new de-
parture he proceeds to show that man
has not only been evolved from the
monkey, but, moreover, that his evolution
is not yet completed
The first of these disadvantages under
which we are supposed to labor, in con-
sequence of erect position of the body, he
finds in the valvular condition of GER
tain of our veins. He says, page 3:
can apparent anomaly exists in the
absence of valves from the parts where
they are most needed, such as the venoe
ca0e, spinal, lilac, h@morrhoidal and
portal. The azygos* veins have imper-
feet valves.
Place man upon all-fours,' and the
law governing the presence and absence
OF valves is at once apparent, applicable
so far as I have been able to ascertain, to
all .qpadrupedal and quadrumanous ami
mails: DorSad gems are VaIved; cephalod,
veatrad, and caadod veins haze no Uo1ve8.
The apparent exception to this rule, I
think, can be disposed of by considering
the jugular veins as obsolescing, and
rendered rudimentary in man by the
erect head, which in the lemur monkey
stage depended. The rudimentary azygos
veins may be a recent creation, and an
explanation of their presence may be
found in the mutability of the cardial
system.
The only reason can assign for the
absence of cephalic and cervical veins
generally, while the jugulars possess
them, is that the jugular system was the
more important to our quadrupedal
ancestors with dependent heads, hence
valves developed in them, and that owing
to the cranial blood vessels developing
odr1 pGsSu with the Uranium and it's con-
tents generally, largely alter man had
assumed the erect position, the valvular
formation elsewhere in the head would
not occur while the ugular valves be-
came rudimentary.
Alter pointing out what our author cor
ceiVes to be disadvantages in the pre-
sent condition and structure of certain
muscular tissues in the human body, he
concludes that, if man has been always
| erect from creation, then we have nothing
to hope from the future by way of an
alteration Of this defect"
Again, he finds some defects in the
shape and structure OF some important
bones of the human skeleton which he
cannot account for except upon the sup
position that man was originally con-
structed to walk on call tours" But he
thinks "the so-called conservative in
fiuence of nature will tend to remedy
these defects in our organization, if time
enough be allowed.
This they call science" and it is
about a fair average sample of the So
called scientific induction upon which
the doctrine of evolution Gin the ordinary
acceptation of the term), rests it's claims
to our favorable consideration.
| Surely, if man, as an erect animal, has
inhabited this earth for 200 900 years or
more, as some of the theorists maintain,
he has had time enough 0eaving con.
trolling providence out of the question:
to get his bony structure fully evolved
and his veinal valves so rectifed, that
the useless, which are still obsolescent."
should have long ago become obsolete :;
and the useful as yet only "rudimentary,
should have become fully developed.
But perhaps they will allow our race
another 100000 years to work out it's full
and final evolution-so tedious is the