To T. H. Huxley 12 June [1867]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
June 12th
My dear Huxley
We come up on Saturday 15th for a week.—2 I want much to see you for a short time to talk about my youngest Boy & the School of Mines.—3 I know it is rather unreasonable, but you must let me come a little after 10 o clock on Sunday morning 16th— If in any way inconvenient, send me line to “6 Queen Anne St. W.”,4 but if I do not hear, I will (stomacho volente)5 call, but I will not stay very long & spoil your whole morning as a holiday.—
Will you turn 2 or 3 times in your mind this question: What I called pangenesis means that each cell throws off an atom of its contents or a gemmule & that these aggregated from the true ovule or bud &c.—6
Now I want to know whether I could not invent a better word.
Cyttarogenesis, ie cell-genesis is more true & expressive but long.—
Atomogenesis, sounds rather better, I think, but an “atom” is an object which cannot be divided; & term might refer to the origin of atom of inorganic matter.—7
I believe I like pangenesis best, though so indefinite; & though my wife says it sounds wicked like pantheism; but I am so familiar now with this word, that I cannot judge, I supplicate you to help me.—
My dear Huxley | Yours ever most truly | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Huxley, Leonard, ed. 1900. Life and letters of Thomas Henry Huxley. 2 vols. London: Macmillan.
Post Office London directory: Post-Office annual directory. … A list of the principal merchants, traders of eminence, &c. in the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and parts adjacent … general and special information relating to the Post Office. Post Office London directory. London: His Majesty’s Postmaster-General [and others]. 1802–1967.
Summary
Asks THH to think about a better name for "Pangenesis"; suggests "Cytarrogenesis" or "Atomogenesis", but still prefers vaguer "Pangenesis".
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5568
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thomas Henry Huxley
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 235)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5568,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5568.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15