The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2). Darwin Charles

such cases the child of the fifth generation would have only 1-32nd part of the blood of his first sedigitated ancestor. Other cases are rendered remarkable by the affection gathering force, as Dr. Struthers has shown, in each generation, though in each the affected person had married one not affected; moreover such additional digits are often amputated soon after birth, and can seldom have been strengthened by use. Dr. Struthers gives the following instance: in the first generation an additional digit appeared on one hand; in the second, on both hands; in the third, three brothers had both hands, and one of the brothers a foot affected; and in the fourth generation all four limbs were affected. Yet we must not over-estimate the force of inheritance. Dr. Struthers asserts that cases of non-inheritance and of the first appearance of additional digits in unaffected families are much more frequent than cases of inheritance. Many other deviations of structure, of a nature almost as anomalous as supernumerary digits, such as deficient phalanges, thickened joints, crooked fingers, &c., are in like manner strongly inherited, and are equally subject to intermission with reversion, though in such cases there is no reason to suppose that both parents had been similarly affected.29

      Additional digits have been observed in negroes as well as in other races of man, and in several of the lower animals. Six toes have been described on the hind feet of the newt (Salamandra cristata), and, as it is said, of the frog. It deserves notice from what follows, that the six-toed newt, though adult, had preserved some of its larval characters; for part of the hyoidal apparatus, which is properly absorbed during the act of metamorphosis, was retained. In the dog, six toes on the hinder feet have been transmitted through three generations; and I have heard of a race of six-toed cats. In several breeds of the fowl the hinder toe is double, and is generally transmitted truly, as is well shown when Dorkings are crossed with common four-toed breeds.30 With animals which have properly less than five digits, the number is sometimes increased to five, especially in the front legs, though rarely carried beyond that number; but this is due to the development of a digit already existing in a more or less rudimentary state. Thus the dog has properly four toes behind, but in the larger breeds a fifth toe is commonly, though not perfectly, developed. Horses, which properly have one toe alone fully developed with rudiments of the others, have been described with each foot bearing two or three small separate hoofs: analogous facts have been noticed with sheep, goats, and pigs.31

      The most interesting point with respect to supernumerary digits is their occasional regrowth after amputation. Mr. White32 describes a child, three years old, with a thumb double from the first joint. He removed the lesser thumb, which was furnished with a nail; but to his astonishment it grew again, and reproduced a nail. The child was then taken to an eminent London surgeon, and the newly-grown thumb was wholly removed by its socket-joint, but again it grew and reproduced a nail. Dr. Struthers mentions a case of partial regrowth of an additional thumb, amputated when the child was three months old; and the late Dr. Falconer communicated to me an analogous case which had fallen under his own observation. A gentleman, who first called my attention to this subject, has given me the following facts which occurred in his own family. He himself, two brothers, and a sister were born with an extra digit to each extremity. His parents were not affected, and there was no tradition in the family, or in the village in which the family had long resided, of any member having been thus affected. Whilst a child, both additional toes, which were attached by bones, were rudely cut off; but the stump of one grew again, and a second operation was performed in his thirty-third year.

      He has had fourteen children, of whom three have inherited additional digits; and one of them, when about six weeks old, was operated on by an eminent surgeon. The additional finger, which was attached by bone to the outer side of the hand, was removed at the joint; the wound healed, but immediately the digit began growing; and in about three months' time the stump was removed for the second time by the root. But it has since grown again, and is now fully a third of an inch in length, including a bone; so that it will for the third time have to be operated on.

      Now the normal digits in adult man and other mammals, in birds, and, as I believe, in true reptiles, have no power of regrowth. The nearest approach to this power is exhibited by the occasional reappearance in man of imperfect nails on the stumps of his fingers after amputation.33 But man in his embryonic condition has a considerable power of reproduction, for Sir J. Simpson34 has several times observed arms which had been cut off in the womb by bands of false membrane, and which had grown again to a certain extent. In one instance, the extremity was "divided into three minute nodules, on two of which small points of nails could be detected;" so that these nodules clearly represented fingers in process of regrowth. When, however, we descend to the lower vertebrate classes, which are generally looked at as representing the higher classes in their embryonic condition, we find ample powers of regrowth. Spallanzani35 cut off the legs and tail of a salamander six times, and Bonnet eight times, successively, and they were reproduced. An additional digit beyond the proper number was occasionally formed after Bonnet had cut off or had divided longitudinally the hand or foot, and in one instance three additional digits were thus formed.36 These latter cases appear at first sight quite distinct from the congenital production of additional digits in the higher animals; but theoretically, as we shall see in a future chapter, they probably present no real difference. The larvæ or tadpoles of the tailless Batrachians, but not the adults,37 are capable of reproducing lost members.38 Lastly, as I have been informed by Mr. J. J. Briggs and Mr. F. Buckland, when portions of the pectoral and tail fins of various fresh-water fish are cut off, they are perfectly reproduced in about six weeks' time.

      From these several facts we may infer that supernumerary digits in man retain to a certain extent an embryonic condition, and that they resemble in this respect the normal digits and limbs in the lower vertebrate classes. They also resemble the digits of some of the lower animals in the number exceeding five; for no mammal, bird, existing reptile, or amphibian (unless the tubercle on the hind feet of the toad and other tailless Batrachians be viewed as a digit) has more than five; whilst fishes sometimes have in their pectoral fins as many as twenty metacarpal and phalangeal bones, which, together with the bony filaments, apparently represent our digits with their nails. So, again, in certain extinct reptiles, namely, the Ichthyopterygia, "the digits may be seven, eight, or nine in number, a significant mark," says Professor Owen, "of piscine affinity."39

      We encounter much difficulty in attempting to reduce these various facts to any rule or law. The inconstant number of the additional digits – their irregular attachment to either the inner or outer margin of the hand – the gradation which can be traced from a mere loose rudiment of a single digit to a completely double hand – the occasional appearance of additional digits in the salamander after a limb has been amputated – these various facts appear to indicate mere fluctuating monstrosity; and this perhaps is all that can be safely said. Nevertheless, as supernumerary digits in the higher animals, from their power of regrowth and from the number thus acquired exceeding five, partake of the nature of the digits in the lower vertebrate animals; – as they occur by no means rarely, and are transmitted with remarkable strength, though perhaps not more strongly than some other anomalies; – and as with animals which have fewer than five digits, when an additional one appears it is generally due to the development of a visible rudiment; – we are led in all cases to suspect, that, although no actual rudiment can be detected, yet that a latent tendency to the formation of an additional digit exists in all mammals, including man. On this view, as we shall more plainly see in the next chapter when discussing latent tendencies, we should have to look at the whole case as one of reversion to an enormously remote, lowly-organised, and multidigitate progenitor.

      I may here allude to a class of facts closely allied to, but somewhat different from, ordinary cases of inheritance. Sir H. Holland40 states that brothers and sisters of the same family are frequently affected, often at

29

For these several statements, see Dr. Struthers, in work cited, especially on intermissions in the line of descent. Prof. Huxley, 'Lectures on our Knowledge of Organic Nature,' 1863, p. 97. With respect to inheritance, see Dr. Prosper Lucas, 'L'Hérédité Nat.,' tom. i. p. 325. Isid. Geoffroy, 'Anom.,' tom. i. p. 701. Sir A. Carlisle, in 'Phil. Transact.,' 1814, p. 94. A. Walker, on 'Intermarriage,' 1838, p. 140, gives a case of five generations; as does Mr. Sedgwick, in 'Brit. and Foreign Medico-Chirurg. Review,' April, 1863, p. 462. On the inheritance of other anomalies in the extremities, see Dr. H. Dobell, in vol. xlvi. of 'Medico-Chirurg. Transactions,' 1863; also Mr. Sedgwick, in op. cit., April, 1863, p. 460. With respect to additional digits in the negro, see Prichard, 'Physical History of Mankind.' Dr. Dieffenbach ('Journ. Royal Geograph. Soc.,' 1841, p. 208) says this anomaly is not uncommon with the Polynesians of the Chatham Islands.

30

'The Poultry Chronicle,' 1854, p. 559.

31

The statements in this paragraph are taken from Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 'Hist. des Anomalies,' tom. i. pp. 688-693.

32

As quoted by Carpenter, 'Princ. of Comp. Physiology,' 1854, p. 480.

33

Müller's 'Phys.,' Eng. translat., vol. i. 1838, p. 407. A thrush, however, was exhibited before the British Association at Hull, in 1853, which had lost its tarsus, and this member, it was asserted, had been thrice reproduced: I presume it was lost each time by disease.

34

'Monthly Journal of Medical Science,' Edinburgh, 1848, new series, vol. ii. p. 890.

35

'An Essay on Animal Reproduction,' trans. by Dr. Maty, 1769, p. 79.

36

Bonnet, 'Œuvres d'Hist. Nat.,' tom. v., part i., 4to. edit., 1781, pp. 343, 350, 353.

37

So with insects, the larvæ reproduce lost limbs, but, except in one order, the mature insect has no such power. But the Myriapoda, which apparently represent the larvæ of true insects, have, as Newport has shown, this power until their last moult. See an excellent discussion on this whole subject by Dr. Carpenter in his 'Princ. Comp. Phys.,' 1854, p. 479.

38

Dr. Günther, in Owen's 'Anatomy of Vertebrates,' vol. i., 1866, p. 567. Spallanzani has made similar observations.

39

'On the Anatomy of Vertebrates,' 1866, p. 170: with respect to the pectoral fins of fishes, pp. 166-168.

40

'Medical Notes and Reflections,' 1839, pp. 24, 34. See, also, Dr. P. Lucas, 'l'Héréd. Nat.,' tom. ii. p. 33.