The Natural History of Man

Abstract

IN an article on “New Experiments on the Inheritance of Somatogenic Modifications”, in NATURE of February 3 (p. 742), Prof. Arthur Dendy writes: “It has long been suspected that the problem of the transmission from parent to offspring of somatogenic modifications (“acquired characters”) might be solved more readily by physiological experiments directly involving the complex metabolism of the body than by ciude surgical operations, such as the amputation of limbs”. He proceeds to tell us of experiments which are thought to demonstrate that when certain toxic substances are injected into the blood of pregnant rabbits a deterioration of the eyes of the offspring sets in, which is transmitted and increased generation after generation.