vi PREFACE. 



leaves much to be desired ; and yet to those critics thoroughly 

 familiar with German literature, I feel but little apprehension in 

 submitting it, confident that fully conversant with the varied diffi- 

 culties of rendering German into English, they will be lenient to 

 its faults and careful of censure. In undertaking the work I have 

 been actuated by the desire to render accessible to my fellow- 

 students, young and old, a good standard work, which has been 

 a great aid to myself in dealing with a subject as yet but little 

 studied in English-speaking countries, and especially in my own, 

 and upon which we possess but few native manuals. I have been 

 prompted, moreover, by the feeling that we all need to enter more 

 fully into the spirit of other men's researches before we can deal 

 fairly with their theories, or deduce any practical conclusions from 

 their investigations. And I cannot but think that a greater effort 

 should be made by all medical men who love progress, to vindi- 

 cate the dignity of Pathological Histology as a science in this 

 country, and to raise it above the complacent smiles of a large class 

 appropriating to themselves the title of " the thoroughly practical," 

 who, for the most part, ignorant of its most elementary principles, 

 appear to regard it as merely the pet hobby of a few vague theorisers 

 and entirely unprofitable. General profit will only accrue to the 

 practical surgeon or physician when, after patient toil, all are able 

 to view the subject closely and from its many aspects. If my 

 humble efforts to render this easier, by giving <the English reader 

 access to a compendium of the views of the greatest histologists 

 arranged in a system, conduce, in however small a degree, to this 

 desirable end, I shall deem my labour well bestowed. 



In conclusion, I have to express my cordial thanks to Professor 

 Emerson Reynolds for some valuable suggestions in regard to 

 chemical terms in the first part of this work, the " Proofs " of which 

 he was kind enough to read over. 



A. R J. B. 



2 HUME STREET, 



October 1874. 



