THE CELL DOCTRINE. 69 



The other fibrous element of areolar or connec- 

 tive tissue, which forms the mass of its bulk, the 

 pure white fibrous or waving, does not, according to 

 Virchow, have its origin in cells, but is a modifica- 

 tion of a previously homogeneous intercellular sub- 

 stance, deposited between the cells, a view which 

 in its glaring departure from the primary proposition 

 that the cell is the starting-point, and that every 

 tissue is composed of cells or some modification ot 

 cell forms, presents one of the few inconsistencies 

 traceable in the theory of Yirchow. 



We think it proper, in a historical memoir of this 

 kind, to refer to some severe critical remarks which 

 appeared in the Edinburgh Medical Journal of Feb- 

 ruary and April, 1869, in which Prof. Yirchow is ac- 

 cused of appropriating the observations of Prof. Good- 

 sir as his own. That there are points in common, 

 it will be recollected, and, also, that these are first, 

 the invariable origin of cells from previously existing 

 cells, and second, the division of the tissues into cell 

 territories. Now on the one hand we deem that the 

 dedication of Yirchow's volume to Prof. Goodsir is 

 as handsome an accredit as could possibly be given 

 for whatever of common there may be in the writings 

 of the two authors, and on the other hand we have 

 seen that Martin Barry is acknowledged even by 

 Goodsir, to be the author of the " first consistent 

 account of the development of cells from a parent 

 centre." The idea of cell territories seems, however, 

 to have originated with Goodsir, nor do we believe, 

 for the reason stated, that Virchow intended to usurp 

 his prerogative. The merit of Yirchow consists in 



