Intermembral homologies : the correspondence of the anterior and posterior limbs of vertebrates / by Burt G. Wilder.

  • Burt Green Wilder
Date:
1871
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Intermembral homologies : the correspondence of the anterior and posterior limbs of vertebrates / by Burt G. Wilder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    78/90 (page 76)
    KEMARK. The delay in the publication of the last part of this paper enables me to offer some general remarks upon it in place of the Glossary of morphological terms, the announcement of which was inserted during publication, but which for various reasons I have concluded to omit. The chief of these reasons is a doubt of my ability to do the work satisfactorily at this time; but to this are added the doubt as to the limits of such a glossary, and the hope that the new nomenclature herein proposed may find helpful criticism among my morphological brethren. Yet even were every new term refused acceptance, my own conviction of the urgent need for a reform in our system would he in no way shaken. At present we are trying to do good work with most imperfect instruments; for we are trying to tell each other about the parts of animals and their relations to each other (these appearing daily more numerous and complex), in the language of ])opular science; we are, in fact, discussing these matters in a manner nearly as loose and inexact as that in which animals and plants were described prior to the reform begun by Linnseus. The various problems which are involved in the general question of intermembral homologies, are rather indicated than discussed; the solution of some requires new information upon facts \ but it seems to me that a more urgent need is some agreement as to the value of different kinds of evidence; together rvith a logical methbd in its application. In view of these necessities I venture to suggest the incorporation of systematic instruction upon “ logic ” and “ evi- dence” into all University Courses in Natural History. I am certain that had logical and legal methods of thought been followed, the acceptance of the symmetrical relation of the membra never would have been hindered by a purely popular superstition, like the corres- pondence of thumb and great toe; and I claim to have proved in the foregoing pages that the agreement or disagreement of parts in nu- merical composition has never been held to invalidate any homology • based upon relative position or mode of development. Yet even in this section of my paper merely an outline of the evidence and argument is given, and I have to thank my friend Dr. Cones for a forcible am- plification of certain points. I may here refer to the intention formed ten years ago, and expressed at the beginning of this paper, to make the elucidation of intermembral homologies a main object through life, and to offer from time to time papers upon the special problems