There is, however, in this particular controversy, much excuse for the plain speaking to which our correspondent takes exception. The real woman question, which, as Mr. Allen points out, is whether woman shall unsex herself or not, has long been obscured by a sort of sentimental glamour which is daily exerting the worst kind of influence in society; and when the scientific man takes up the subject, it becomes his duty, if he would be true to the spirit of his craft, to set forth in the strongest light the essential facts of the case. All through his article it is the biological question involved which Mr. Allen keeps to the front, and in the passage complained of he, as we read him, is simply emphasizing the supreme importance of this aspect of the subject.—Editor.
ENVIRONMENT AND THE REPRODUCTIVE POWER OF ANIMALS.
Editor Popular Science Monthly:
I have read with great interest an article in the November number of "The Popular Science Monthly" entitled "Conditions affecting the Reproductive Power of Animals," and, while I fully agree with the facts as stated, it seems to me that the manner in which it is written savors overmuch of the "carpenter theory of creation."
I do not deny that "the activity of the reproductive function is in proportion to the unfavorableness of the embryonic environment"; but is not this a fact rather than a law? It is true that the power of producing young in immense numbers is the conditio sine qua non among lower orders of animals, but should we not look deeper for the reason of this power? Are there any laws in nature which exist simply because they are good?
Among the lower orders of animals the weight of each offspring is much less in proportion to that of the parent than among the higher. The organization of the lower orders being much simpler than the higher, the offspring can be brought to perfection in a much shorter time. Therefore, each individual offspring of the lower orders is produced with much less expenditure, on the part of the parent, of both matter and vitality. Were these the only differences, they would be sufficient to account for a vast difference in reproductive power.
This reproductive power is fostered by natural selection. Among those species whose young are exposed to so many chances of destruction, those varieties which possess the greatest reproductive power are more likely to survive in the struggle for existence, and will transmit to their offspring their more vigorous reproductive power. To say that the reproductive power of an animal can be affected directly by anything which may happen to the offspring after birth reminds us of the belief current among children that, if a lost tooth be swallowed by a dog, a dog's tooth will grow in its place.
We know that the existence of a species in any given state depends upon certain conditions. While the study of that species may teach us much concerning those conditions, it is necessary for us to take a wider and deeper view before we can discover the causes which led to them; and we should ever keep in mind the fact that while the species owes its existence, in any given state, to those conditions, the conditions were not necessarily created by Nature for the sake of preserving the species in that particular state. Nature helps those, and only those, who help themselves.
| Charles A. Peple. |
| Richmond, Va., November 4, 1889. |
A CORRECTION.
Editor Popular Science Monthly:
Dear Sir: My attention has been called to a slip occurring in my article in the April issue of the "Monthly." In the sentence (in the foot-note, page 727) reading ". .. Add to this the confession of an exposed medium, Mr. D. D. Home," etc., the exposed medium is not D. D. Home, but one cited by him as exposed. The only hint I have as to the origin of the printed version is from my fragmentary notes for the paper, in which the words stand thus: "Add to this the confession of an exposed medium (D. D. Home, 'Lights and Shadows of Spiritualism,' etc.)." I remember deciding to omit all mention of names wherever possible, and must have crossed off part of the parentheses instead of all. I am very sorry that so slight an error should have ended in throwing blame where it did not belong, and especially so as my point was simply that a medium was exposed in the manner indicated, it being entirely immaterial who the medium might be.
I must further apologize for the lateness of my writing, on the plea of a six months' absence abroad, and the consequent accumulation of duties awaiting me on my return.
| Yours truly |
| Joseph Jastrow. |
| Madison, Wis., Oct 31, 1889. |
