420 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



NOTE. As might have been expected, Professor Virchow shows 

 himself in practice far too sound a philosopher to be restricted by 

 the canon laid down in his critique of Dr. Haeckel. In his recent 

 discourse upon the plague, he asks and answers the question, ' What 

 is the contagium ? ' in the following words : ' Et qu'est-ce que 

 le contagium ? A mon avis, 1'analogie de la peste avec le charbon 

 contagieux me parait si grande qu'il me semble possible de trouver 

 un organisme inicroscopique qui contient le germe de 1'affection. 

 Mais jusqu'a present on a peu oherche a trouver cet organisme.' 

 Revue Scwntifiyue, March, 1879. 



