The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-12-09

What is to be thought of "Rudi
mentary Organise
- Quite number of the so-called
rudimentary organs have disappeared
from the list, since the subject of In
ternal Secrctions tpoured directly
into the blood or the LYMPH have
! been studied. These internal secre
lions are regulators of the metabol
ism. Many of the so-called rudimen
tary organs as V. g. to thyroid gland
are (ductless} glands preparing these
all-impOrtant secretions. The removal
or atrophy or hypertrophy of such
glands has the most far-reaching con
sequences. These internal secretions
counteract the poisonous waste prod
ucts of metabolism. Especially many
nervous disorders and mental disor
ders are traceable to disorder of the
ductless glands.
y A number of the so-called rudi
mentary organs are of great impor
lance during the period of growth OF
man and atrophy later on, as does
every organ no longer used. To this
| class belongs V. &. TO thymus gland
CT. Ranke, |. C. p. 311. Similiter the
famous hypophysis cerebri. Abnor
malities of this gland during the peri
cd of growth of man Tor removal OF
the same) has disastrous results.
% There are still q number OF
organs of whose functions we are as
ypt IGNORANT iIIcf nc uo 1rpro fOrmar
ly ignorant of the functions of other
so-called documentary organs. Since
the thyroid gland, the thymus gland
the hypophysis cerebri, the suprare-
nal bodies, the appendix, etc, have
disappeared from the list of 'rudi.
mentary organs even evolutionists
have become careful when speaking
of ''rudimentary organs" Because we
do not know what function this or
that part of the human organism has,
it does not follow that it has none.
The human organism is a structure
infinitely more complex than any man
made machine. And rash state
ment as to the uselessness of this or
that part is on par with the judg,
ment of an apprentice who finds this
or that part of complex machine use
less, because he fails to see what it is
for.
d. AS to the famous muscles for
moving the ear, CT. Wasmann, /. C.
(Biology). To which We add: Quae-
ris: Why can't we tor at least most
of us) not move the ears by means
of these muscles? Responder: Why
can't you play piano? Because you
have never learned it, i. e., you have
never learned to coordinate a definite
set of muscles apart from others.
Learn to do this, and that set of
muscles can be innervated separately
and with q high degree of coordina.
ton. Similiter learn to move the
ears (de modo "discendi" hoe by
means of ''kinaesthGtic sensations" in
Exp. Psychology, and you can use
the muscles of the ear. In our present
condition of modern civilization we
have little use for this performance,
but under more primitive conditions
the same movements probably were
and are of greater use; and if prac-
ticed the muscles become stronger
by use. Hence in one sense these
muscles may be even called rudi-
mentary, not as vestiges of animal
ancestors, but as vestigeS of human
ancestors who once had more use
for them under their peculiar condi-
lions of life.
Herewith are appended references
on The Famous "Rudimentary Or:
gans' In Man:
u Modern Biology and the Theory
p. HOS.
p Ranke, Der Mensch led. 81 |,
p. 311-914, and the whole section SOC.
314. This is a standard work. Ranke
is considered one of the greatest
authorities. lie Introduces the sub
ject of the so-called "rudimentary
organs" with the caution to be care
full in the discussion of these so-called
rudimentary organs q. c. p. 31D.
81 I. Thesing, Experimental Bio
logic, Ii (Vol. 337 of the collection
Aus Natur and Geistes welt'O. Very
interesting data. Thesing is not a
Catholic (nor was the late Ranke,
above referred to-.
- Biol. ZentralbIatt, x1xvi, 1906,
No. Il, PIP. 754-76S. Article by o.
Schulz, "Neuere und neueste Schild-
MISUNDERSTANDING" This article is re-
ferred to by FIR. Wasmann |. c. p.
446, note. have not seen the article.
And medical library has the maya
zine referred to-
- Simmer Aus Maria-Laach, 1911,
No. 4, in an article by FIR. Karl Frank,
S. j., on the subject of Evolution
as applied to man. The rudimentary
organs are dealt with on p. 16 of
the article. | have reprint of the
article. In the original Simmer the
passage, can be easily found by con-
sulting the 10th page of the article.
I cannot quote the page of the Slim
men. Very interesting are the re-
cent researches tire referred to as
to the appendix. According to re-
suits of the Investigations carried on
by such authorities as Koch, Aschoff
w. Macewen, e. Albrecht, Klemm,
etc, the Appendix is Emphatic or
gan which, especially in youth serves
to counterfeit the influence of poison
Gus intestinal bacteria.
81 E. Wasmann, Neueres EUR Alb
stammungslehre in Revue luxem-
ho1Irooicnss 1a10 M IT bo1ya 40