It being a fact that the body of the child has identically the same organs and parts that are formed in the body of its father, or in that of the mother; and that the child closely resembles one or both of them, we naturally inquire: “What force or agency causes the germ-cell and its daughter-cells to develop and grow until they become a man, like its father; or a woman like its mother?” We cannot even imagine that this sameness of organs and parts, of structure, form and size, and this close resemblance happens by chance or accident.
Every man has conscious knowledge that he had no voluntary part in the production of his child, except that he placed the spermatozoön at a point from which it could reach the ovum. The mother knows that she had no voluntary part nor agency in the production of her child except that she permitted the father to place the spermatozoön in reach of the ovum. Neither of them has any voluntary power, nor any control over the formation of the spermatozoön nor of the ovum; nor over the development and growth of the child, nor over its structure, form, size nor over its features.
The spermatozoön is a microscopic cell, 1/500th of an inch in length, (Martin, Human Body, p. 651), the head, which is the largest part of it, being, apparently about 1/10,000th of an inch in diameter, (Haeckel, Evolution of Man, p. 53, fig. 22.) It consists of a homogeneous mass of protoplasm, composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen; and sometimes has a trace of phosphorus and sulphur. (Cent. Dic. 6, p. 4799; Huxley, Anat. Invert. An., pp. 9, 14.) See [index] infra, “Spermatozoön.” Although the spermatozoön is not visible to the naked eye, and has certain vital properties and potentialities, yet it is a physical body with all the attributes of a brick or stone.
If any quality, characteristic or trait of the father passes from him to his child, it is transmitted by, and through the spermatozoön, for that is the only thing that passes from the one to the other. So, if any quality, characteristic or trait of the mother passes from her to her child, it is transmitted by and through the ovum, that being the only thing that passes from her to it.
Whatever power or influence the father’s body, or any organ or part of it, may have to affect or modify the body of his child or any part of it, must be effected by and through the spermatozoön before it leaves his genital organs; for it is clear that neither the father’s body, nor any organ nor part of it, has any power to affect, modify or differentiate the spermatozoön, nor any part of it, after it leaves his body.
It is absurd to suppose that the father’s body, or any organ or part of it, can affect, modify or differentiate the spermatozoön, or any part of it, in such a manner that it shall cause the child to have qualities, characteristics and traits resembling those of the father. In fact he could not possibly know whether there is one, many, or none in his genital organs, at any given time, for a stronger reason no single organ nor any part of his body could possibly affect, modify nor differentiate the spermatozoön in such a manner as to cause the child, which arises from it to have organs and parts resembling those of the father. Thus, suppose the father has blue eyes. How could the father, or his eyes, possibly affect the spermatozoön in such a way as to cause the child’s eyes to be blue? How could the father, or his nose, modify the spermatozoön in such a manner as to cause the child’s nose to resemble the father’s nose. It would be absurd to suppose that the father’s brain and his vocal organs can affect the spermatozoön in such a manner as to cause the child to be a notable singer.
Professor Weismann says:
“It is well known that many mental and physical qualities of parents are transmitted to their children, such as the color of the eyes and hair, the shape and size of the finger nails; and not only these, but as everyone knows, even such minute and indefinable physical and mental characteristics as likeness of features, bearing, gait, handwriting, a mild and equable or passionate and irritable temperament.”—(Weismann on Heredity, 2, p. 14.)
The color of the eyes depends on the coloring matter or pigment in the irises. How could the father’s eyes possibly affect the spermatozoön in such a manner as to make the child’s eyes blue? How could the father’s red hair differentiate the spermatozoön so as to give the child red hair? Can we imagine that the father’s finger nails can affect the spermatozoön in such a way as to make the child’s nails of the same “shape and size” as those of the father? How could such a thing be? Can we believe that a man’s brain, nerves and muscles, can so affect the spermatozoön that the child’s handwriting shall be like that of the father? How could this be? How could the father’s brain modify the spermatozoön in such sort that the child shall have the same temperament that the father has?
Most of the resemblances between the child and its parents result from education, association and environment. If a child’s parents die when it is six months old; and it be placed in the hands of a stranger and his wife; it is easy to see that many of the child’s qualities, characteristics and traits would be borrowed from the man and his wife with whom the orphan lives.