New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
DIR. WEISMANN'S ESSAYS.

lar. S. f. L. b., +. q. S. and Arthur r. shipley /
NJ. A.. F. L. 3. l2m'' PIP 10 Inc 'I'e"uOA
Press.
The second volume Of DR.. Wcismann's essays con
ta,ns four papers. namely "RctroTessve Develop |
ment in nature; Thoughts upon the MUSICAL sei'9e
In Animals and Man.; Remarks on Certain fiOpem'
Of the Day. and "Amphimxis. or the Essential mean
ing Of Coniugation and Sexual Reproduction All
90 th.s. papers are supplementary 10 those In the hrt
.olume arording. in the view Of the writer new
surport TO his theory OF the nontusinissloh Oh ao
ouired characters The first essay deals WIN 'ie
d;sse and consequent atrOphy or complete ciillia'
tIon OF organs which ceased TO be OF use 10 "e
animal The term "rctrOgressvc development chi
nov.d nv Dr. Wcismann seems open 10 some oDlec-
,ion for IL at once raises the queStion-"bat - " NC
understood by the opposite term, progressive u0
yelopmentl" If for instance the aFophy Vi tne "e'
of the Aptcryx is to he ascribed to adap'auoh " q"
yironment, It clearly case OF natural seie''io.
Hnt the purpose of natural selection is the survival
of the ttest and the survival OF the httesl Is 'o '
yival OF those best adapted TO thcr environment
This beng the case why should the removal Oh tne
wings OF the Apteryx be characterized as Prooe'9
OF degeneration DR.. Wcismann hbors 10 sio" 'i"'
tile results OF this removal are distinctly OeheH'"i ~
the bird that In fact they aid It's survival III Important
ways. The may be said OF nearly al 'io niu .'
trations given by him Of what he terms retroereSs'e
development"
We saw "neary all" because In some OF the cases OF
naras,,icaI animals there seems room for DOUBT aS
10 whether the species are rca'S
by the changes which adapt them 10 ule siieie i" w
of nutrition leaving everything else out VI conu'"
,on. He finds support for his main arsu"'", IA
.hese parastes inasmuch rs many OF them 'io oo'"
treaswimming creatures. and on establishing ui''n
a,,os ,,,on or in the body of their host gradually
,s NV dispse first one organ and then another' ui'
OH ,ba,r energy IS centred In ana cohhheu " 'i0
suction Of their hearts juices. This lhoeeu Guns"
tutes a strong point In favor OF the non
Of acquired characters. But IN inc "ho'e is
cases in which adaptation does away WIFI u
narts the changes appear rather IN Inc inc Vi Pr
gressve than retrogressive development vi W. n
&c NOR always possible TO explain the rationale Oh su
changes-degeneratiOns, as Dr. NeSilain "ou'u W.
them Thus ii is not apparent why lne "e"'9 'uN
hair which the whale formerly carried shouiu navy
been supplanted by thick layer of buoDer ulueI Vo
skin but il is quite safe TO assume 'n"'' ~ =,
change was in the line OF adaptation, IL was "''o :"
,ha limo NJ progression and not of retrogressloh
DR. Weismann holds that what lie calls deSehef'uoii
only comes into PLAY when natural selecuoh Hs oo0
10 act This raises the Question-ooes h"'n"i S
tlon ever cease TO act upon any species "-i'' P
n chance of survival Species which 90 surVNe "'0
maintained by and through natural selecuoh' ""ch
ho, ceases to act extinction follows, Tor the lhpAea
ton is failure OF adaptation to the environments wiz.
&c ta,,ure in the struggle maintain existence bu'
change from the earlier types Is by no means he'e
rily retrogression rs, indeed, must appear rum 'e
fact that the earliest types are Invariably lower
isms 1t is perhaps, consideration which ooes ~.
materially affect DR.. Weismanns main argument 0u'
II &c liable TO interfere with the lucidy OF his expires
eion and that is OF little importance In the statement
oo6 defenc. OF q new scientific theory. Apart from
this amtdguity the essay referred 10 Is suos on,
and full of interest for the unscenhc rcauer' VI
course the author dwells most upon the evidence VIII"
goes 10 show that the effects OF disease IN an organ are
not handed down. and the illustrations here are paruc-
ularly cogent ...
The second essay is calculated 10 attract the interest
y, musicians especially for II SETS forth the mover
proposition that the musical sense IN man mas u'uei
gone no progressive development from the pes'ilnk'
that all men. whether savage or ciNhzed' possess '0
came Potentially in this respect. lie inquiries
"whether it is 10 assume that any increase III
musical talent has as matter Of fact taken place IN
IN. course OF ages - And he suggests the further
ouestion-"whether 1t is quite certain that Mozar's
could not have existed In ancient times IN Oher "oTos
whether the supposed increase In musca taeht Has III
reality taken place historical fact or whether te
talent was not inherent in man from the beginning
while its expression, that Is. music itself, has under
gone progressive increase and Development" lie al
u,ts that cat first sight the question may appear
very strange" but he believes that II Is perfectly lusti-
fable The argument which follows IS at least ~
strange as the proposition. Dr. Weismann insists tha'
from the mere fact that symphonies are not composed
nv savoces we are not entitled TO conclude that Mo
more clearly, we not entitled without further
proot 10 infer that savages possess high musical
talents because their music IS but lowly developed
On this principle IL might be argued that we are no,
entitled 10 conclude that the Fjians NAV not possess
high literary talent. merely because they have not
written any books But how can an cvo!uuonist use
such an argument? j. he not bound d" eX hypOthesl'
TO maintain that nothing exists for which 10 use can he
found and what would be the use Of Mozart among
the Sarpoans, where such talent the Doctor says,
"coud not produce any marked effect because Of the
low levei attained by the musical cnvlronment|
1t must be confessed that the explanation given OF the
Doctors belief lacks expcness lie says: e am sat
is1ed by the proof afforded By facts that this
is really the case, ard that therefore the high musical
TALENT which is more less possessed by civilized
man at the present time does not depend upon
gradual increase in the musical sense. and that such
increase being non existent does not require eNpana
ton No such rise and increase of the musical faculty
by Itself has taken place The musical sense IS rather
an andent possession Of mankind chiefly depending
upon the highly developed auditory Orgdh and TINS
WAS transferred from his animal ancestors, and
has not increased at any rate beyond the condition
reached by the lowest OF existing savages" Dr.
Wesmann may prove 10 be right In the end but thus
far his theory lacks much OF demonstration As here
stated IL sounds though one should declare that,
while there was no doubt Of progressive development
IN mechanism, there had been growth whatever in
knowledge OF the laws Of mechanics. Music, we are
told has improved wonderfully; but the musical
faculty remains Adamic.
To many readers the employ Of such arguments
must suggest the consideration that Dr. Wcsmann' IN
the endeavor bring everything to the standard OF his
hypothesis Of the nontransmisSiOn OF acquired char
acters is in no little danger OF getting out OF his
depth; and that small portion Of his peril arises
from the fact that he has left the soul ont OF th-
universe altogether. Painful the fact may be TO
such noted Matcrialsts IL IS nevertheless true that
there are many things in life which are insolubie by
even the most brandnew Biology. At Intervals
modern science comes TO places where advance Is
checked by the agnOstc sign, The unkhowabIe'
and the bold investigator who Will rest content WIN
nothing short OF thnkable solution, yet viii attempt