THE CELL DOCTRINE. 



THE idea that animals and plants, however com- 

 plex their organization, are really composed of a 

 limited variety of elementary parts, constantly re- 

 curring, was appreciated by Aristotle, while it ap- 

 pears to have been even more clearly conceived by 

 the acknowledged father of medical science, Galen. 

 Fullopius of Modena, 1523-1562, to whom we are 

 indebted for our knowledge of the conceptions of 

 Galen in regard to these "partes similares" or 

 "simplices," has further developed the subject of 

 general anatomy in his " Lectiones de Partibus Simi- 

 laribus Humani Corporis." But these " partes 

 similares" of Fallopius, which were bone, cartilage, 

 fat, flesh, nerve, ligament, tendon, membrane, vein, 

 artery, nails, hairs, and skin, plainly do not corres- 

 pond with the " elementary parts" or " cells" of the 

 present day. They were ultimate to Fallopius, as 

 stated by Prof. Huxley, because he could go no 

 further, " though it is, of course, a very different 

 matter whether we are stopped by the imperfection 

 of our instruments of analysis, as these older ob- 

 servers were, or by having really arrived at parts 

 no longer analyzable."* These "partes similares" 



* The Cell Theory a Keview, by T. H. Huxley : Br. & For- 

 eign Med.-Chir. Kev. for Oct., 1853, No. xxiv. 



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