File:The pedigree of man - and other essays (1903) (14762398124).jpg

Identifier: pedigreeofmanoth00haec (find matches)
Title: The pedigree of man : and other essays
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich Philipp August, 1834-1919
Subjects: Man Evolution Man Evolution
Publisher: London : A and H.B. Bonner
Contributing Library: ASC - York University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: York University - University of Toronto Libraries

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paratus of antand man—scientific men, by common agreement at thepresent hour, hold that in all these animals that areprovided with a nerve-apparatus a soul-life or a soulexists. III. But what is to be said of those lower animals inwhich a nervous system, even of the simplest nature,is wanting—the corals, polyps, sponges ? Does the 158 CELL-SOULS AND SOUL-CELLS. want of a nervous system in these denote the lowestlimit of soul-life ? Or is there in these cases a soulwithout any nerves ? Well-known scientific men—e.g.,B. Yirchow and Du Bois-Reymond—answer the latterquestion in the negative, and maintain that no one canspeak of a real soul-life in these nerveless animals.We are of a different opinion, and we found it on thegeneral opinion of all zoologists who have employedthemselves for a long time and with great perseverancein close observations on these animals destitute ofnerves. Nay, we are convinced that these animals,without nerves and yet alive, are actually of the deepest
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Fig. 41. Two fresh-water polyps (Hydrae), one on the left contracted,one on the right expanded : the latter bears a bud that hasalready seven short prehensile tentacles. CELL-SOULS AND SOUL-CELLS. 159 moment in comparative physiology, and yield us thetrue key to the comprehension of soul-development. The member of these important classes of loweranimals most instructive, best known, and most closelystudied, is the common fresh-water polyp, the Hydra(Fig. 41). This delicate little being, only a millimetrelong, is diffused everywhere in our lakes and ponds,and can be had at any time in large quantities. Fewwould anticipate the wealth of disclosures of an im-portant nature that this insignificant being yields inregard to the most important mysteries of life. Itssimple body has the form of an elongated cup, coloredsometimes grey or green, sometimes brown or red.The cavity of the cup is the stomach of the Hydra, itsopening is the mouth. Around the mouth is placed acircle of fine threads, 4

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