Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-13
INDIVIDUALITY,
Queer Question That Puzzles Scientists
The Problem Of Double Monster.
WHAT Is AN INDIVIDUAL?

Queer Question That Puxzies Scientists-
The Problem Of Double Monster.
WHAT Is AN INDIVIDUALLY
w Science doesn't seem to be at all
agreed on that point, " said learned doctor at
the Smithsonian to STAR reporter. Natural
philosophers look at the subject from widely
different points Of view. For example. some Of
them assert that o single tree is an individual,
while others are of the opinion that each bud
has an individuality of its own, or even that
each young shoot represents the separation Of
a number of distinct individuals in the shape
Of leaves from each other. On the other hand
it il held by certain authorities that trees like
the weeping willow, which are propagated al
most exclusively by buds and shoots, may on
this account be properly regarded, thousands
OF them together, as being one individual al
though they are separated by thousands of
miles. In this case they are thought Of as
being merely 80 many transplanted branches
derived from one original seed.
THE MOST APPROVED THEORY
Now, that brings you to what should re-
gard the most approved theory in this mat
ter-nameiy, that all the living forms which
come from single egg together make up an
individual. A tree that springs from one egg
or seed is such therefore. So is a coral which.
though it includes thousands of living forms
perhaps, each distinct from the others, is
nevertheless produced from one original germ
or bud. You may consider the coral or the
tree to be compound individual But in this
question there are all sorts of puzzles. Two
chickens are sometimes hatched from one egg
and grow up healthily, into q pair of fine
broilers, maybe. Are you not going to credit
each Of those fowls with an individuality Of its
own? II there was worm in dispute between
them their view of the case might be aptly
illustrated. Teratology, which il the science
Of monsters, finds much to do with the con-
sideration Of double freaks OF all sorts
Such sports even occur with human beings, as
in the case Of the Siamese twins which doubt
less represented a single human germ at the
beginning. So also with Christine, the
double girl Although she had but one
stomach, most people would have been dis
posed to regard her as two individuals. The
Siamese twins are known to have quarreled
dreadfuily, and it was only because the ply
sicians said that such an operation would be
fatal that they did not have themselves cut
apart.
Man NOT WHOLE INDIVIDUAL.
ut is very generally conceded today that
neither man nor a woman can be properly re-
garded as . whole individual. According to
this theory, man and woman together arere-
qulred to compose an individual, because
neither alone is able to reproduce the species.
For completeness the power to reproduce is
essential. The whole problem is greatly COM
piicated by the difficulty Of determining when
an individual should be considered to
come into existence, whether as n vitalized
germ, at some period OF development before
birth. or upon being born. One may say
that TINS Is one OF those things that no fellow
can find out"