418 FEAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



NOTE. As might have been expected, Professor Virchow 

 shows himself in practice far too sound a philosopher to be re- 

 stricted 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 f ' in the following words : ' Et 

 qu'est-ce que le contagium ? A inon avis, 1'analogie de la peste 

 avec le charbon contagieux me parait si grande qu'il me semble 

 possible de trouver un organisme microscopique qui contient le 

 germe de 1'affection. Mais jusqu'a present on a peu cherche a 

 trouver cet organisme.' Revue /Scientijique, March, 1879. 



