290 Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



plied before and many since the cerebral localization came to 

 honor. Around these 'centers,' the data of neurological teach- 

 ings were arranged. 



Everything points unquestionably to a verdict that this 

 must be in a way the ideal plan of progress, with Morgagni's 

 motto : ubi est morbus ? if at least it takes the advice of his 

 further statement : Nulla est alia pro certo noscendi via, nisi 

 quam plurimas et morborum et dissectionum historias collectas 

 habere et inter se comparare — the only logical true method, 

 with Hmitations, though, which we often disregard over the de- 

 sire of drawing conclusions. 



We see both the neurological sciences work in this direc- 

 tion, physiology and anatomy. The former reigned supreme 

 till lately, and it has given neuropathology it method of reason- 

 ing. With the coarse anatomy of the nervous system and the 

 knowledge of ' centers ' furnished by physiology, the diagnoses 

 of nervous diseases are made. Real histology then fur- 

 nished the cell in which the functions of the centers were ' pro- 

 duced,' and i\\Q fiber-paths which 'conducted' the 'discharges,' 

 the functional energy ready made and stored up in the centers 

 and leaving there its traces. This is the current conception of 

 most medical men of to-day. 



The minute anatomy in the hands of a Meynert may have 

 helped to strengthen this attitude ; first, by making the finer 

 anatomy of the nervous system appear as an abstruse subject, 

 and second, by creating the idea of the ' projection-systems ' 

 which has arisen from the center concept and can be manipu- 

 lated theoretically without any real histological knowledge. 

 This may explain why physiologists have been and for the most 

 part are, absolutely devoid of interest in pure nervous anatomy. 

 The blade of a knife used in the operation was the most accu- 

 rate instrument of precision used as far as ' anatomy ' went, 

 until V. Monakow began to work out some brains coming from 

 Munk's laboratory, and Langley and Edinger a few of Goltz's 

 brains. Schaefer's excellent anatomy of the brain in Quain 

 might be held up against my statement as an anatomy written 

 by a physiologist. It is indeed the best descriptive anatomy in 



