The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-25

of nerve cells which formerly terminated
in the missing member, sensations which
the brain relates to the absent hand or
foot 1t is not uncommon, for example,
for a person who has lost leg to be con-
scious Of sensations Of pain that are re
ferred TO a familiar corn on the missing
foot; many instances are recorded where
q buried member has been disinterred be-
cause the individual who had lost it felt
sensations of pain that he believed indi-
Gated the buried leg was lying in a
cramped position:
The difference between the human or
ganism as whole and that Of the lowest
forms of life may be described as the
difference between a completely socialized
state in which every person has been de-
prived Of all power of individual initiative
and is completely under the control of
central authority and an anarchistic state
in which the responsibility Of each indi-
vidual runs no further than his own per-
SON The analogy, Of course, will not
stand close scientific analysis, but roughly
it illustrates the difference between the
nervous system Of the sponge and that Of
man. And this elementary nervous sys-
TEN is entirely adequate for all of the re-
quirements Of the sponge; indeed, should
the sponge develop more complex ner-
vous system it would cease to be sponge
and become something else higher up IN
the scale Of living things. For it is the
nervous system and the degree of its COM
plexity and minuteness Of organization
that constitutes one Of the essential
points Of difference not only between
species, groups an. families of animals,
but between individuals of a particular
species. Hence, it is matter of no small
biological interest to ascertain from the
conditions presented in the simpler ami
mails which Of these various states are ele-
mental and what has, been the probable
line of evolution of that system Of organs
with which our personality is so indissol-
ubly connected"
DR.. Parker's book is the second of q
series of thirteen monographs on expert
mental biology that have been announced
for publication, with the promise that
there Will be still others in the series,
edited und the general supervision of
Jacques Loeb, 7. 81. Morgan and W. ].
V. Osterhout- Nothing could more strik-
ingly illustrate the extent to which science
is penetrating the secrets and mysteries
Of nature than the statement in the edi-
torial announcement prefacing this series
that the rapidly increasing specialization
makes It impossible for one author to
cover satisfactorily the whole field Of
modern biology. 1t is only since 1890
that biological research, as q separate
and distinct field apart from zoology, has
been regarded as of sufficient Importance
to justify the exclusive attention of sci
entifc observers. 1t is only since the re-
discovery in 1900 of the Mendelian law Of
heredity that biology has taken its place
among the experimental sciences, like
chemistry. Now for the first time we are
to have summed up in accessible form the
results of approximately two decades Of
biological research We shall need still a
Huxley or Herbert Spencer to interpret
these reports in terms of the human life
Of to-day and tomorrow, before the full
measure of the value of the knowledge
painstakingly acquired by the scientists
can be realized and availed of; the pres
ent volume, like most works written by
specialists, is completely Ineligible only
to those skilled in the authors own spe-
cialty and would not be justifable sub
ject for a review at length in these col
umns were it not for certain human con-
illusions and applications Of the author,
for their value as guide posts to every
writer and reader of books
IF the purpose Of writers is to picture
and Of readers is to understand life In
its manifold manifestations, then it is es-
e r