The first priority is to become acquainted 

 with all current results in addition to the 

 necessary details of the experiments on which 

 they were based .... 



Further, it seems important also that the 

 application of an explanation to congenital 

 deformities must be not only mentioned, but 

 also investigated in order that all educated 

 physicians can learn how to recognize and 

 describe similar cases for the further benefit 

 of science. The main task must be, without 

 any doubt, the history of the formation of 

 the human embryo, including the deformities 

 as well. But the first stages of this forma- 

 tion in man are still little noted, and that 

 includes embryos in diseased conditions (to 

 which all abortions are related) , without 

 which we could not know the complete history, 

 origin, or formation of any part if they were 

 observed in mammals. The history of formation 

 of mammals also cannot be understood at this 

 stage if we do not have cases of observations 

 on the formation of chicks. On this basis I 

 find it necessary, before treating the history 

 of human formation, to discuss as a preliminary 

 the observations on other mammals and on the 

 chicken in order to understand how the results 

 are obtained and why and to what extent anal- 

 ogies can be drawn from them. It is necessary 

 to discuss briefly the animals of other classes 

 in relation to the history of formation, and 

 especially to mention some general results .... 



These extracts from the draft of Baer's work on the 

 history of development of man and vertebral animals show what 

 great educational significance Baer accorded to the field of 

 embryology in the training of future physicians. Here also 

 was briefly pointed out the fruitfulness of the comparative 

 method in embryology, and also the importance of the detailed 

 study of monstrosities, a description of which is necessary 

 "for the future benefit of science." 



465 



