51 



to be disposed of. They must also bespeak the kindness of those 

 whose contributions to our American journals may of necessity be 

 omitted. The rule they lay down for themselves is, in the first place, 

 to select such subjects for their notice as seem most important and 

 interesting, and then to gather and condense into the smallest pos- 

 sible space all they meet with on these subjects, irrespective of the 

 sources from whence they originate. If by pursuing this plan, they 

 may be compelled to pass over matters of weight and merit, they 

 feel that they will do no more than postpone the claims of these 

 authors. Their successors in office will not fail, in taking their own 

 views of the subjects they will have to discuss, to vindicate the just 

 rights of such as may have been, from necessity, excluded from the 

 present notice. 



In disposing of the subjects enumerated in the rule, the committee 

 will follow pretty much the order there observed, only deviating 

 from it occasionally, for the purpose of preserving as far as they 

 may be able, uniformity and simplicity in the details of the discus- 

 sion. 



And first, of 



ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



1. Of Development. — Mr. Paget* explains his doubts as to the 

 correctness of the ordinary theories of cell development, since, in 

 very numerous examinations of tumours and other morbid growths, 

 he has not found a single example in which a cell has appeared to be 

 forming or formed around a pre-existing nucleus; or one in which 

 fibres have appeared to be formed out of nucleated cells ; or one in 

 which nucleated cells have appeared to constitute a stage towards 

 any form of higher development. But he has seen rapidly growing 

 structures composed of large collections of fibres, without a nucleated 

 cell among or near them. Others with nucleated cells, but scarcely 

 any free nuclei or granules, and nothing like a cell incompletely de- 

 veloped around its nucleus. And again others with no cells at all, 

 but composed entirely of corpuscles, like nuclei or cytoblasts. Now 

 the structure of such morbid growths, he thinks peculiarly adapted 

 for testing a theory of cell-development. He thinks the ordinary 

 (not the exceptional) mode of development of fibres is not through 

 nucleated cells, but from a structureless or demigranular substance, 

 which is first marked, then broken up into fibres. The cytoblasts 



* Brit, and For. Med. Rev., July 1846. 



