The History of Creation, Vol. 1 (of 2): Or the Development of the Earth and its Inhabitants by the Action of Natural CausesHaeckel, Ernst
Philosophy
The History of Creation, Vol. 1 (of 2): Or the Development of the Earth and its Inhabitants by the Action of Natural Causes
Haeckel, Ernst
Evolution; Heredity; Human beings -- Origin
outer skin greatly influences the susceptibility of the organism for
certain diseases; so that, for instance, Europeans with a dark
complexion, black hair, and brown eyes become more easily acclimatized
to tropical countries, and are less subject to the diseases there
prevalent (inflammation of the liver, yellow fever, etc.) than Europeans
of white complexion, fair hair, and blue eyes. (Compare above, p. 150.)
Among these correlations in the formation of different organs, those are
specially remarkable which exist between the sexual organs and other
parts of the body. No change of any part reacts so powerfully upon the
other parts of the body as a certain treatment of the sexual organs.
Farmers who wish to obtain an abundant formation of fat in pigs, sheep,
etc., remove the sexual organs by cutting them out (castration), and
this is indeed done to animals of both sexes. The result is an
excessive development of fat. The same is done to the singers in certain
religious corporations. These unfortunates are castrated in early youth,
in order that they may retain their high boyish voices. In consequence
of this mutilation of the genitals, the larynx remains in its youthful
stage of development. The muscular tissues of the body remain at the
same time weakly developed, while below the skin an abundance of fat
accumulates. But this mutilation also powerfully reacts upon the
development of the nervous system, the energy of the will, etc., and it
is well known that human castrates, or eunuchs, as well as castrated
animals, are utterly deficient in the special psychical character which
distinguishes the male sex. Man is a man, both in body and soul, solely
through his male generative glands.
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