312 HOW TO WORK 



teach us the order in which the various changes occur and the em- 

 ployment of other terms is rendered superfluous. 



A resume of my views will be found in the new edition o 

 Dr. Carpenter's Manual of Physiology. Brief extracts from my 

 papers, and short notices, have from time to time appeared in 

 various journals. An excellent analysis extending over twenty 

 pages will be found in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences 

 for January, 1867.* 



I propose now to draw attention to some of the facts which 

 have led me to adopt the conclusions just referred to, and I must 

 beg the reader carefully to study the different figures and accom- 

 panying explanations referred to. The illustrations have been drawn 

 with the greatest care and no labour has been spared in their pro- 

 duction. Some have been selected from my papers in the Phil. 

 Trans, of the Royal Society, and I am indebted to the Council for 

 permission to make use of them. 



3SO. Of Living or Germinal Matter. The smallest masses of living 



O 



matter are spherical, and the largest mass always assumes the sphe- 

 rical form when free to move in a fluid or semi-fluid medium. 

 Germinal or living matter is invariably colourless. 



Very small particles of this living or germinal matter are repre- 

 sented in pi. LVII|,fig. 374. Now such particles cannot be termed 

 cells, according to the ordinary definition of that word. Yet each 

 consists of germinal matter with probably a thin layer of formed 

 material upon its surface. Each of these may increase in size by the 

 absorption of nutrient pabulum into its substance, and may then divide 

 and subdivide into separate portions. In fact each possesses the pro- 

 perties usually regarded as characteristic of cell life. The mucus 

 corpuscle which is represented in pi. XL, fig. 256, also consists of a 

 mass of germinal matter which as it lies in the mucus or formed 

 material exhibits movements as shown by the dotted lines. The 



The present unsatisfactory state of Medical and Scientific Reviewing in 

 England is much to be regretted. It is probably mainly due to the short-sighted 

 policy of publishers who for the most part pay miserably and by measure, so that 

 if a reviewer spends much time in condensing, and improving and re-writing his 

 work, he will actually receive less than if he allows it to be printed in a crude 

 state. It is pretty generally suspected by readers that the accident of friendship 

 exerts too strong an influence upon the opinions expressed by reviewers, and it is 

 not certain that the enthusiasm on the part of the press for certain scientific 

 doctrines is excited solely by a disinterested consideration of their merits. More- 

 over the system which has become general among periodicals of calling the atten- 

 tion of readers to those works only of which copies have been presented to the 

 journals, instead of to those which are published, cannot be too much condemned. 

 All journals ought to refuse to receive copies as gifts, and surely all authors ought 

 i.o refuse to allow their works to be presented for ' review.' 



