PROFESSOR VIRCHOW AND EVOLUTION 431 



viously undreamed of, which it offers of the enigmas of 

 life and organization. He points to the clouds of error 

 and confusion which it has already dispersed, and shows 

 how the progress of discovery since its first enunciation 

 is simply a record of the approach of the theory toward 

 complete demonstration. One point in this *'popular'* 

 exposition deserves especial mention here. Helmholts 

 refers to the dominant position acquired by Germany in 

 physiology and medicine, while other nations have kept 

 abreast of her in the investigation of inorganic nature. 

 He claims for Grerman men the credit of pursuing with 

 unflagging and self-denying industry, with purely ideal 

 aims, and without any immediate prospect of practical 

 utility, the cultivation of pure science. But that which 

 has determined German superiority in the fields referred 

 to was, in his opinion, something different from this. In- 

 quiries into the nature of life are intimately connected 

 with psychological and ethical questions; and he claims 

 for his countrymen a greater fearlessness of the conse- 

 quences which a full knowledge of the truth may here 

 carry along with it, than reigns among the inquirers of 

 other nations. And why is this the case? ''England and 

 France," he says, *' possess distinguished investigators — 

 men competent to follow up and illustrate with vigorous 

 energy the methods of natural science; but they have 

 hitherto been compelled to bend before social and theo- 

 logical prejudices, and could only utter their convictions 

 under the penalty of injuring their social influence and 

 usefulness. Germany has gone forward more coura- 

 geously. She has cherished the trust, which has never 

 been deceived, that complete truth carries with it the anti- 

 dote against the bane and danger which follow in the train 



