PROBLEMS IN HUMAN ANATOMY 383 



tology and cytology. Starting with the differentiation of the ti 

 sues by means of empirical staining methods, investigators have 

 gradually come to appreciate the chemical processes which under- 

 lie the various color reactions, and as we know now, there already 

 exist methods for determining in the tissues several of the chem- 

 ical elements, such as iron, phosphorus, etc., to say nothing of the 

 more or less satisfactory identification of complex organic bodies 

 by means of definite reactions. This being the case, it is possible 

 to imagine representations of the body built up on the basis of 

 these microchemical reactions, representations which would show 

 it in the terms of iron or in the terms of phosphorus, thus yielding 

 us an image which might be compared with that obtained by aid of 

 the spectroscope when the picture of the object is taken by means 

 of one out of the several wave-lengths of light which come from it. 



The contemplation of the multitudinous opportunities for in- 

 vestigation and comparison which appear within this field lead 

 us to pause and inquire what is properly the purpose of all this 

 anatomical work; for without a strong guiding idea we are liable 

 to repeat the errors of earlier generations, and merely accumulate 

 observations, the bearing of which is so remote from the actual 

 course of scientific progress that the investigations are mainly use- 

 ful as a mental exercise for the individuals who conduct them. Ana- 

 tomical results begin to have a real meaning only when correlated 

 with physiology, and when we learn that a tissue with a certain 

 structure is capable of performing given functions, we feel that we 

 are really bringing our anatomy into touch with the life-processes. 

 It is to aid in the accomplishment of this end that men devote their 

 lives to anatomical work. With the variation that we find every- 

 where in organic structures, it should be and is possible to discover 

 by comparison what variations in the structure of a tissue or a 

 cell are accompanied by the best physiological responses. It is 

 along this line that we must necessarily work in order to reach 

 human life, either through medical practice or other avenues of 

 approach, for in the end the object and purpose of all science is 

 to ameliorate the unfavorable conditions which surround man, 

 and in turn to produce a human individual more capable of resist- 

 ance to disturbing influences, and better suited for the enjoyment 

 of the world in which he lives. 



Considering anatomical work with this thought in mind, the pro- 

 blems which it presents can be grouped according to their relative 

 value and importance. The approach may be made from two sides. 

 On the one hand it is, for example, extremely worth while to direct 

 years of labor to the determination of the finer structure of living 

 substance, because the more closely we approximate to a correct 

 view of that structure, the more readily will our anatomy and physi- 



