From Rudolph Heine 10 March 1865
Sir!
I have read the paper from You: “on the origin of species, etc.” with great pleasure and greater information.1 But a law, very important by inheritance, i have not found asserted, the law, that to young animals are inherited in the utmost strength those organs, which will be utmost used and exercised by the father and the mother before the conception of the young animal and by the mother when pregnant with it.2
By this cause a young hunting dog, for example, is inherited with a finer nose, when the father before his uniting with the mother or when the pregnant mother were frequently used by hunting, and a colt is inherited with stronger muscles, when the father and the mother before their uniting or when the pregnant mother were frequently used by riding or carrying.
This law proves the frequently inheritance even of conditions no endurings for life-time, and it seems to be a cause, quickly to spread conditions, founded upon surprising development; and by this means efficiently to favour the origin of new varieties, species, genera and families.
I hope, You will be pleased to excuse me, for not better knowing the english language.
I am respectfully | Dr. Heine, | physician.
Bitterfeld (near Leipsic)
the 10 of Mars 1865.
To Mr. Charles Darwin. | author of the book: on the origin of species, etc.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Admires Origin, but CD does not consider hereditary law of use and disuse.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4783
- From
- Rudolph Heine
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Bitterfeld
- Source of text
- DAR 166: 134
- Physical description
- ALS 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4783,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4783.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13