THE STORY OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY SCIENCE 



Whatever future science may be able to accomplish in 

 this direction, however, it must be admitted that present 

 science finds its hands quite full, without going farther 

 afield than to observe the succession of generations 

 among existing forms of life. Since the establishment 

 of the doctrine of organic evolution, questions of hered- 

 ity, always sufficiently interesting, have been at the very 

 focus of attention of the biological world. These ques- 

 tions, under modern treatment, have resolved them- 

 selves, since the mechanism of such transmission has 

 been proximately understood, into problems of cellular 

 activity. And much as has been learned about the cell 

 of late, that interesting microcosm still offers a multi- 

 tude of intricacies for solution. 



Thus, at the very threshold, some of the most element- 

 ary principles of mechanical construction of the cell are 

 still matters of controversy. On the one hand, it is held 

 by Professor O. Biitschli and his followers that the sub- 

 stance of the typical cell is essentially alveolar, or foam- 

 like, comparable to an emulsion, and that the observed 

 reticular structure of the cell is due to the intersections 

 of the walls of the minute ultimate globules. But an- 

 other equally authoritative school of workers holds to 

 the view, first expressed by Frommann and Arnold, 

 that the reticulum is really a system of threads, which 

 constitute the most important basis of the cell structure. 

 It is even held that these fibres penetrate the cell walls 

 and connect adjoining cells, so that the entire body is a 

 reticulum. For the moment there is no final decision 

 between these opposing views. Professor Wilson of 

 Columbia has suggested that both may contain a meas- 

 ure of the truth. 



Again, it is a question whether the finer granules seen 



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