230 



KNOWLEDGE 



[OCTOBKB, 1902. 



presonts too liirge a. view to iillow mo to do more than speak of 

 him from a personiil ac(|iiuiiitaticu wliicli I enjoyed nearly forty 

 years. Vircliow was a Pomeranian, and was born at Schivelbein 

 ou October 13th, 18l'1. Ho distinguished himself at a local 

 school and then proceeded to Berlin to study medicine. Ho 

 joined an Institute connected with the University and obtained 

 his |)nictical knowledge at the Charitd Hospital. He took his 

 degree in 184.^ and soon afterwards became an external lecturer 

 on Pathology. At this time he was <1( piited to investigate an 



SleduUiou cast in honour of Prof. VIUCHOW on the occasiou of 

 his 70th birthday. 



epidemic of fever, and his report so strongly reflected on the 

 sanitary condition of the neighbourhood that it attracted much 

 attention and criticism. His name also became associated with 

 the Radical Party in Parliament, and thus he came into collision 

 with the "man of Blood and Iron," and with other govern- 

 ment officials. All this made his position as a teacher in the 

 University very uncomfortable, and this being a|)parent, he 

 was invited to accept the Professorship of Pathology at the 

 University of Wurzbiirg. This he did, and took advantage of 

 the opportunity to devote himself entirely to the duties of his 

 Chair. He made some very remarkable contributions to 

 subjects connected with his work, which gave him at once a very 

 prominent place amongst the scientific men of the day. His 

 work was so carefully done, and his observations made with 

 such perfect accuracy, that he was able to put forth his 

 principles with the greatest confidence, aud these being trans- 

 lated into different languages were seen to be the utterances of 

 a master mind, and were at once accepted as the embodiment of 

 truth. 



His fame became so great that Berlin was only too ready to 

 call him back, and the University to offer him the Chair of 

 Pathology. This was in 18.56, after a residence of five years at 

 Wurzbiirg. It was not long before he issued his gi-eat work, 

 which made his name famous throughout the scientific world. 

 This was the celebrated " Cellular Pathology." Its purport was 

 to show how the cell was the unit of life, and that all growth 

 proceeded from pre-existing cells. This was a substantial basis ; 

 a new and solid foundation, not only to explain morbid processes 

 but healthy and physiological ones. The doctrine which was 

 held at that time originated with Schwann, who, with the 

 elaboration of the microscope, did much original work with 

 respect to the ultimate tissues, both of the animal aud vegetable 

 kingdom. He taught that a fluid was thrown out from the 



blood, which ho called the blastema ; in this fluid a number of 

 granules sprung up, which after a time formed themselves into 

 {{roups or nuclei, and around these again the cell was formed. 

 All cell life was thus produced in this cytoblastema. Virchow, 

 by an unwearied study of years, completely upset this theory, 

 and showed how every cell sprung from a pre-existing one. 

 The cells afterwards became modified and altered to their re- 

 spective form.s, but in all cases they originated from parent cells. 

 Just as the animal or |)lant is ])roduced from one of a like kind, 

 so do the individual cells composing them have a similar 

 l)arentage. This was his great doctrine which was found to be 

 true throughout the whole of living nature, and lies at the basis 

 of all the laws of heredity. It was formulated by him into the 

 .sentence, " Omnia ('eUula a celltihi.^' This was an epoch-making 

 doctrine, and will take its stand by Harvey's " Circulation of 

 the Blood," Newton's " Law of Gravitation," or Darwin's 

 " Origin of Species." 



Besides the great work of Virchow, there are to be found in 

 his " Archives," which he edited since the year 1847, numerous 

 apers of great merit and originality. I may mention that of 

 " embolism," the name he gave or adapted to the case where 

 fibrinous matter is carried with the blood through the vessels 

 until it blocks one of the smaller ones, as, for instance, an 

 artery leading to the brain, when it leads to softening and 

 paralysis. I might mention also his article ou ulceration of 

 bone, characteristic of a well-known specific disease. Virchow 

 had a typical scientific mind, so that he said nothing that was 

 not found to be absolutely correct and true — for exam]de, in 

 his work on tumours he refers to his examination of specimens 

 in our Knglish museums, and as regards that at (xuy's, I found 

 that he bad appended the number which was written on the label 

 to each example mentioned. Like Faraday, Darwin, and others 

 of that stamp, he possessed in the highest degree a simple 

 honesty of purpose. As showing his truly scientific turn of 

 mind, I might quote his answer to those persons who wished 

 im to investigate the miraculous case of a girl who had, every 

 Friday, the bleeding stigmata appear upon her body. He 

 said : "Every miracle exhibits a tendency which natural science 

 does not. The miracle is produced with a determinate aim, 

 seeks notoriety, stimulates attention, and advances to meet all 

 mankind. Nature's laws are retiring, they have no interest in 

 man, it being man who has an interest in the laws." 



It may be mentioned that Virchow interested himself in 

 everything appertaining to anthropology ; and so he was 

 enthusiastic in Schliemann's work in the Troad, and in 1882 he 

 wrote a paper on old Trojan graves, and gave a description of 

 the skulls found therein. It should be mentioned, too, that 

 Virchow received from the Royal Society in 18'J3 the Copley 

 medal, the highest honom- it could bestow. Prance made him 

 Commander of the •' Legion of Honour," and he received 

 distinctions from other countries, but no honour could add 

 lustre to his name. 



Ou reaching his 7Uth birthday a very remarkable ovation took 

 place at Berlin to celebrate the occasion, and a medal was struck 

 in his honour, and copies were made in gold, silver, and other 

 metals. It had a diameter of 180 millimetres (7 inches), aud 

 the gold one weighed 2'i kilograms (5 lbs.). On one side is a 

 bust of Virchow surrounded by the inscription " Riulolphus 

 Virchow Pomeranus Civis Berolinensis. ^Elal LXX.'' On the 

 reverse is seen a female figure seated, representing anatomy, 

 one hand resting on a book in her lap, and the other holding a 

 skull. Science is rejiresented by a male figure with wings 

 holding a flaming torch over her head. In the background is 

 the figure of Diana, a mummy, a skull, a microscope, a jar 

 labelled "eiubol/a," and other emblems of the arts aud sciences. 

 Written below are the words " Onmis reUuld a ci'lluhi.'' 



The celebration of his 80th birthday took place on 

 October 3rd of last year, when representatives of all nation- 

 alities crowded to do him honour at Berlin. It resembled no 

 state ceremony, but was a spontaneous burst of homage from 

 the civilized world. Lord Lister spoke on behalf of Great 

 Britain, and said, that they joined in recognition of his 

 gigantic intellectual powers aud in the gratitude for the great 

 benefits that he had conferred upon humanity, and in admira- 

 tion of his personal character which was marked by absolute 

 uprightness. Various places of learning sent him their con- 

 gratulations. 



Few men had so world-wide a reputation as A'irohow, and 



