VIRUS PROTEINS — STANLEY 509 



our thoughts and fancy to proceed and lead us where they may into 

 the unknown, disregarding the absence of facts that so far we have 

 been unable to wrest from nature. At worst, we may become imbued 

 with erroneous impressions — and even they have occasionally been 

 beneficial ; at best, we may secure ideas that will enable us to establish 

 as facts the very ones that gave rise to the ideas. Whatever may be 

 your attitude with respect to this point, I think that you will agree 

 with me when I say that the elucidation of the manner in which the 

 virus proteins reproduce will serve to give us a clearer picture of the 

 manner in which protoplasm grows. Because certain of the virus 

 proteins are available in large amounts and lend themselves readily to 

 experimentation, I think that we are now in excellent position to pur- 

 sue with great expectation the problem of the reproduction of the 

 virus proteins and eventually that more interesting problem concern- 

 ing protoplasmic growth. 



