S ection III.—O f variety in the Colour o f some other parts.
It had been asserted by some anatomists before the time of
Soemmerring, particularly by the elder MeëkBl; and Waglêfof
Brunswick, that the brain of the Negro* is ‘of darker colöur
than that of white men. Meckel thought this to h e the base
particularly with the white Or medullary portion. A different
opinion was that of Walter, who thought fh a t th e cinetitioti»
portion was somewhat darker.
Soemmerring endeavoured to ascertain the truth in this disputed
question, and dissected carefully the brains oftHreë N lf
groes in the presence of several other anatötóstS/viz. EWfesabr
Weichman, Professor1 Schumlanski of Petersburg, and Bifl-
mann of Cassel, taking care to compare on the spot the freSh
brain of a European. The result was that hé could n ó f discover
either the cineritious or medullary substance to be^jn
the least darker than in Europeans. He even thought the
colour rather paler in the African than in thé European brain.
Camper had made the same observatioif in the Examination
of four brains of Negroes; and Professor Bonn of Amsterdam,
had declared that he could not perceive the Negto brain to°bd
of darker hue than that of white men, though he thought the
pia mater of a deepèr tinge. On the whole wte müsf' cöftf
elude, as Soemmerring observes, that there is no remarkable
difference as to colour in the brains of Negroes • and Europeans.
CHAPTER IV.
THS SAME INQTJJpRY CONTlNÜEn f ^ ^ AiUETIES OF FORM AND
ir STRUCTURE.
Se6t| on I.—General Remarks—Instances o f the origination
o f VaHeties^Of the seven principal Varieties o f
Manjciridi
^Diversities in form,, in the shape of the body and the proportion,
of jtbu trunkJ and limbs, as well as in the figure and
^tra'Cture. of particular parts, exist in almost every species.
We iqust take a brief survey of the phenomena of diversity
observed in the human form, and, then proceed to compare
|hese -phenomena with those which display themselves in
pther tpjaes. - A,few previous remarks on the origination of
s-uch .varieties will assist us in forming, some conception of
|H§ir nature* “T \ . . . '
On extending our, view over the organized world, we perceive
no other quality so generally characterising the works
of nature as an infinite and inexhaustible variety. Human
art aims at precise uniformity in its productions, while Nature
seems, if we may be allowed the expression, to.be everywhere
satisfied .with resemblance. Her purposes are attained
by displaying that sort of general analogy which is still compatible
with individual variety. It is most probable, that no
two individuals were ever produced in any species with com-,
plete and perfect sameness of form and structure. This character
in all the productions of nature was remarked by Lucretius,
whose poetical imagination has led him in this instance,
in spite of his atheistical philosophy* to the conception,
of a final cause.
R