16 MORPHOLOGIC VARIATION 



stating that bacteria in pure culture do show wide variations in the 

 size and form and structure of their cells, but that the nature and 

 significance of these variations are not known. 



"Was ist nun zu tun?" says Almquist. "Wir miissen die Natur 

 objektiv untersuchen und den Tatsachen unterordnen." 



The problem is one particularly adapted to statistical analysis, 

 since it deals with large numbers of individuals varying among 

 themselves at any point in time, and varying continuously with time. 

 This work has to deal with an attempt to apply such statistical 

 methods to the problem of morphologic variation in bacteria, with 

 the hope that by such methods the investigation will be truly kept 

 objective, and that the facts will eventually truly be placed in order. 



