CANCEROUS TUMORS. 5, 



large number of cases to have preceded the development of the 

 disease, and though frequently the patient had lost all recol- 

 lection of the original harm, yet it was in this direction we 

 ought to look, rather than seek to explain away the real difficul- 

 ties by invoking the aid of an imaginary cachexia. 



Now that the brilliant superstructure of the cellular pathol- 

 ogy has been shaken to its very foundation, and so much that 

 Virchow labored to teach scattered to all the winds, we cannot, 

 nevertheless, look upon either the man or his works without 

 admiration and respect. Kone know better than the vei-y men 

 who led in the revolt against his doctrines, how carefully he 

 built them upon the actual facts, so far as at the time they were 

 in his possession ; and in the presentation of the facts his de- 

 scriptions were so clear and generally so nature-true that his 

 works must long remain a mine of wealth to the sincere student. 

 This is especially the case with his book on tumors,* the crown- 

 ing monument of his industry and genius — a great work, which 

 he has not yet finished. The last part published appeared in 

 1867 ; there still remained only the subject of cancer, but it 

 has never been given to the world. During the time which had 

 elapsed since the work was commenced the way had been paved 

 for a histological revolution. In consequence of the multipli- 

 cation of original investigators throughout Europe, and of the 

 introduction of improved methods of histological research, 

 new facts were being rapidly accumulated, and very many of 

 them were in discordance with the cellular pathology. Still, 

 after all, it ought not to be forgotten that it was two of Vir- 

 chow's own assistants who made, in his own pathological lab- 

 oratory, the brilliant series of discoveries which overthrew the 

 splendid generalizations of their master. I refer of course to 

 Von Recklinghausen and Cohnheim. The paper of Cohnheim 

 on inflammation,t published in Virchow's Archiv in 1867, 



* Die Krankhaftcn Geschwiilste. Berlin, 1S63-7. 

 tUeberEntzundung und EiteruDg. 



