The End of the Story 217 



in this field to magnify the importance of 

 their observations, or to claim as world- 

 reforming discoveries the results of imperfect 

 observation or misinterpreted facts. 



But in spite of mistakes and misinterpreta- 

 tions, in spite of the runaway enthusiasms 

 which now and again lead the disciples of the 

 new light to ignore the solid groundwork of 

 experience which was founded in the old, we 

 are daily gaining new facts and more com- 

 manding points of view, and the science of 

 medicine has entered upon a new and brilliant 

 epoch in its history. 



The mysterious veil which has for so long 

 hung over some of the most widespread and 

 terrible diseases, is gradually being drawn 

 aside, and we now stand face to face with 

 known and understood and no longer, for 

 the most part, with mysterious and incompre- 

 hensible foes. 



Thirty years ago it would have seemed an 

 idle tale had one said that he could cultivate 

 at will in the laboratory the very living essence 

 and causes of such diseases as consumption, 

 typhoid fever, Asiatic cholera, diphtheria, and 



