2 MANUAL OF HUMAN MICROSCOFIC ANATOMY, [sect. I. 



by the genius of a mjvri, to whom, indeed, Histology is not indebted 

 for any great discoveries, but who, better than any before him, un- 

 derstood how to arrange the existing materials, and bring them into 

 relation with physiology and medicine, so that it acquired for itself 

 independence in all future time. In fact, F. X. Biciiat's Anatomic 

 Gdnerale (Paris, 1801), is the first scientific work on Histology, 

 and on this account forms an epoch in its history. This work, 

 besides, attained great important* from the circumstance, that 

 in it the tissues are not only clearly defined and treated of most 

 fully and logically in a morphological point of view, but are also 

 discussed in detail in their physiological functions and morbid 

 conditions. To this great internal progress were superadded, in 

 this century, the increasing improvements of the external aids, the 

 microscope, and a steadily growing zeal in the investigation of nature, 

 so that it is not surprising that Histology has, within the last fifty 

 years, left far behind all that was accomplished in the first century 

 and a half of its existence. From the year 1830 more particularly, 

 discoveries followed each other in such rapid succession, that it may 

 be regarded as truly fortunate that they, at the same time, came in 

 such connection together that microscopical anatomy escaped the 

 danger of losing itself in details, as in former times. It was, namely, 

 by C. Th. Scfnoann, in 1838, shewing that auimal organisms are all 

 originally composed of cells, and that their higher morphological 

 structure arises from these elements, that the leading thought was 

 promulgated which united all previous observations, and also 

 proved itself applicable to further exertions. If Bichat founded 

 Histology more theoretically by the laying down and consistent work- 

 ing out of a system, Schwann has, by his investigations, established 

 it upon facts, and thereby won for himself the second laurel in this 

 field. That which science has done since Schwami down to our 

 own time, has been indeed of the greatest importance to physiology 

 and medicine; and in fact, of high value even in a purely scientific 

 point of view, in so far as many things only indirectly or shortly 

 discussed by Schwann, such as the origin of the cells, the significa- 

 tion of the cell-nucleus, the development of the higher tissues, the 

 chemical condition of them, etc., have been further advanced; but 

 all these discoveries are not of a kind to lead us to any material 

 extent into a new epoch. If, without pretending to be a prophet, 

 it be allowed me to speak of the future, the condition of Histology 

 will not advance until we succeed in looking essentially further into 

 the depths of organic structure, and in perceiving the elements, 

 of which that %chich we at present regard as simple, is composed. 



