Abstract
Belief in the inheritance of acquired characters and in pangenesis can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. From the time of Hippocrates to the time of Lamarck belief in the inheritance of acquired characters was accepted as a matter of course. Excerpts from the work of 18 men which describe the inheritance of such characters are quoted. Likewise the belief in pangenesis can be traced to Hippocrates. Selections from the work of 37 men who preceded Charles Darwin are quoted to illustrate how universally the belief was accepted.

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