832 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 126. 



We can reasonably seek, in the relations 

 of the body to the outer world, an explana- 

 tion of the development of certain proper- 

 ties of cells which serve a useful purpose in 

 mechanical and other injuries. These 

 properties find application also in the normal 

 life of the organism. Their exercise in re- 

 sponse to injury imparts to inflammation 

 important adaptive or protective character- 

 istics, but I fail to see in this process any 

 such special fitness as would justify extrava- 

 gant statements which have been made to 

 the effect that inflammation ranks among 

 the adaptations of living beings by the side 

 of digestion and respiration. 



I have endeavored in this address to pre- 

 sent certain general considerations concern- 

 ing pathological adaptations. It has been 

 possible to bring under consideration only a 

 small part of an immense field, and this 

 very inadequately. "We have seen that in 

 the sense in which adaptation was de- 

 fined we can recognize in the results of 

 morbid processes frequent and mani- 

 fold evidences of adjustment to changed 

 conditions. These adjustments present all 

 degrees of fitness. Some are admirably 

 complete ; more are adequate, but far from 

 perfect ; many are associated with such dis- 

 order and failures that it becomes difficult 

 to detect the element of adaptation. The 

 teleological conception of a useful purpose 

 in no case affords an explanation of the me- 

 chanism of an adaptive process. I have sug- 

 gested that the adaptability of this mechan- 

 ism to bring about useful adjustments has 

 been in large part determined by the factors 

 of organic evolution, but that in only rela- 

 tively few cases can we suppose these evolu- 

 tionary factors to have intervened in behalf 

 of morbid states. For the most part the 

 agencies employed, are such as exist pri- 

 marily for physiological uses, and while 

 these may be all that are required to secure a 

 good pathological adjustment, often they 

 have no special fitness for this purpose. 



The healing power of nature is, under the 

 circumstances present in disease, frequently 

 incomplete and imperfect, and systems of 

 treatment based too exclusively upon the 

 idea that nature is doing the best thing pos- 

 sible to bring about recovery or some suitable 

 adjustment, and should not be interfered 

 with, rest often \ipon an insecure founda- 

 tion. The agencies employed by nature 

 may be all that can be desired ; they may, 

 however, be inadequate, even helpless, and 

 their operation may add to existing dis- 

 order. There is ample scope for the benefi- 

 cent work of the physician and surgeon. 

 William H. Welch. 



Johns Hopkins Univbesity. 



THE NAPLES ZOOLOGICAL STATION. 



The Naples Zoological Station celebrated 

 with adequate ceremonies on April 14th its 

 twenty-fifth anniversary. The exercises of 

 the day began at 10 o'clock in the morning 

 by a delegation representing the students 

 at work in the Station calling upon Dr. 

 Dorhn and expressing to him their appre- 

 ciation of the privileges which the Station 

 aflbrded them. This delegation consisted 

 of representatives of the Grerman, Italian 

 and English-speaking peoples, each short 

 and pointed address being delivered in the 

 language of the representative. Dr. Dohrn 

 happily replied, beginning his speech in 

 German, continuing it in Italian and clos- 

 ing it in English. This delegation then 

 waited upon Dr. Hugo Eisig, who has, 

 from the beginning, been Dr. Dohrn's first 

 assistant. 



Early in the day the entire Station fleet 

 was anchored in the bay near the Station. 

 This fleet consists of two small steamers, 

 the Johannes Midler and the Frank Balfour, 

 and six small fishing boats. In the midst 

 of this small fleet was anchored the second- 

 class cruiser Fieramosca, sent by the Italian 

 government to do honor to the occasion. 



At 2 p. m. all at present connected with 



