The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-09
0! MY PROTOPLASM|c SOUL /!
DIR. Jordan Describes Germ
Cells and Things.
A Large Audience Listens to the
Law of Heredity.
The Battle Ground of Evolution Now
Around the Question of Heredity.
A Profound Lecture In
Plsin Language.


DR.. David Starr Jordan, president OF
Stanford university, was given at the
Unity church last night. The audience
was even lsrgea than at the frat lecture,
there being no standing room.
DR.. Jordan's special line of thought
| for the evening was Heredity. He illus
trated his lecture with charts showing
various forms of germ cells, protoplasma
and nuclei.
The lecturers manner OF presentation
of the intricate processes of nature was
30 plain and his diction so clear and
simple that it added greatly to the in
terest of the occasion.
Beginning with the conservative force
of nature, DR.. Jordan showed by apt IL
lustrations how the greatest recent in
crease in knowledge has come from
studying the physical basis of heredity.
In order that his audience might be
able to see how far that knowledge had
reached, he took up the study of life in
| it's lowest forms, and described the
growth OF germ cells.
By means of the charts he graphically
explained the difference between the
| forms OF life of single cells and the COM
pound forms of lie.
He showed how the simplest forms of
cells which constituted the entire life
could be divided to make two lives, and
explained how little such cells or lives
we're dependent on each other. 1t was
| this independence which enabled the
divisi, n. But as life became more COM
pick III the higher forms, the mutual
dependence of cells was greater, and
| finally 30 great that when cut off they
would die and not live, as in the
| simplest organisms.
1t Was this law of mutual help, as
shown in the aggregation OF cells. which
led to compound organisms, and finally
to sex relations.
| The first sex relations were observed
where a simple II organism woald be
divided and give half of itself to another
organism and receive half of that other,
thus forming two slightly different or
| ganisms.
In man the destruction OF cells was
going on all the time, and even while he
was talking. Cells were being destroyed
and new ones forming, go that all the
cells were changed once in seven years.
As the form OF animal life became
higher the characteristics OF the male
germ cells and female became greater.
DR.. Jordan spoke at some length about
the nucleus and germ cells and the grow
ing Importance Of sex IN evolution.
There were no two germ cells alike, go
there were no two human beings alike.
He conceded, he ssid, that there were
many problems which had not yet been
solved in the question of heredity. The
af
greater the range of the unknowable re-
vealed to the human eye.
He said that the question today which
was the subject of thought among
scientists was not the origin of the
species, That had been settled and
! passed By.
What they are addressing themselves
to now, the present battle ground. is
whether traits of character are inherited
or not. Whether an "aco uired char
acter" formed after birth by experience,
activity or training is inherited or not.
Whether effects of use or disuse are
hereditary.
He referred to Ibsen's story OF the
young man whose father lives a double
life OF virtue and vice and left the vice
as an inheritance to him by which he
was destroyed.
If acquired traits can be transmitted
it would add to the poignancy OF re-
morse. Yet if they are not it would be
diecouraging because it would preclude
the idea of the transmission OF traits OF
use and beauty which had been de-
veloped by parents.
Candidly, DR.. Jordan said, he did not
know. The scientific world is divided
upon this subject. There are some who
have definite opinions on one side or
the other. But this question of heredi-
ty is not yet settled, and it will be
along this line that scientific men will
study and try to solve the important
problem.
The lecture was most interesting
one and enriched by the erudition and
aptness of illustration of the lecturer.
Only slight glimpse is poss BILE of the
stream OF knowledge in simple form
that fell from his lips last night.
| DR.. Jofdan's closing lecture of the
course will be delivered Saturday even
ing, he considering the question of evo-
luton under the subject of Mans Place
| in Nature.
This lecture will no doubt be the most
sense, as the monkey" question will be
scientifically considered.
The lecture will be divided as follows:
Derivation OF species is now fact, not
a theory. Homology the stamp of
heredity. Man shows perfect homolo-
gies with lower animals in structure,
in habits, in mental process. Closest
with old world monkeys.
Evolution of monkeys; relation to
man.
Views OF Iohn Wesley. Existence of
hosts OF continued links between the
most perfect man and the ape"
Views of Darwin. Theories OF descent
| OF man.
First-Wholly independent origin.
acknowledgement from anthropoid
| apes.
Third-A seperste offshot from lemurs.
Fourth-Saltatory evolution.
| Fiith-ExtrA-natural origin of mind.
Sixth-Msn nomadic ape.
Seventh-Man an ape with prolonged
| infancy.
Eighrh-Man speaking ape.
Ninth-Man tool-using, fire-building
ape.