xxviii PREFACE. 



the theory of descent with Social Democracy he has 

 hit the hardest blow at that theory, and that he aimed 

 at nothing less than the removal of all " Darwinists " 

 from their academic chairs and professorships. This 

 is the inevitable consequence of his demands ; 

 for if Virchow insists with the utmost determina- 

 tion that the theory of descent must not be taught 

 (because he does not regard it as true), what is 

 to become of the supporters of that theory who, like 

 myself, regard it as incontrovertibly true, and teach it 

 as a perfectly sound theory ? And at least nine- 

 tenths of all the teachers of zoology and botany in 

 Europe are among its supporters from immutable 

 conviction of its truth, as well as all morphologists 

 without exception. Virchow cannot expect that these 

 teachers should collectively renounce that which they 

 believe to be immutable truth, and in its place set up 

 the dogma of the Church as the basis of their teaching, 

 in accordance with his wish ! Nothing remains for 

 them but to vacate their professors' chairs, and 

 according to Virchow and the " Gerrnania " the 

 " Modern Polity " would be in duty bound to deprive 

 them of their liberty of teaching if they did not 

 voluntarily renounce it. 



If this be indeed Virchow's purpose, as it is gene- 

 rally supposed to be, with regard to me, at least, he may 

 spare himself the trouble. Amongst us in Jena quite 



