The work of Kelreiter about the irritability in the 

 plant, to which Wolff referred, was called: "Nouvelles 

 observations et experiences sur l'irritabilite des etamines 

 de l'epine vinette (Berberis vulgaris)", Traduit de l'allemand 

 par M. I 1 adjoint Sewergin, Nova Acta Acad. Scient. Petropol., 

 4, 1790 (German original was received in Petersburg in 

 1788) (112). 



(29) The point of view of A. E. Gaisinovich is 

 similar to the presentation mentioned here about the out- 

 look of Wolff (see Wolff "Theory of conception") . It is 

 possible to combine with it the confirmation, that the 

 studies on preformation and epigenesis do not always corre- 

 spond to the demarcation between idealism and materialism 

 in biology. The following serves as an evidence, that 

 preformists were also idealists (Leibnitz, Haller, Bonnet) 

 and mechanical materialists (for example, Lamettri) ; equally 

 as epigenetics, were either idealists (Aristotle Harvei) , 



or mechanical materialists (Dekart, Maupertuis, Byuffon and 

 Didar3t).A. E. Gaisinovich included Wolff as well in the 

 latter category. His "absolute epigenesis" was grouped 

 together with Gaisinovich in the mechanical materialism. 

 For its complete verification, this statement could be 

 desired as only a less categorical expression. In the 

 evaluation of Wolff's outlook, it is impossible, apparently, 

 to deny absolutely his fluctuations between materialism and 

 idealism; these fluctuations were an unavoidable originality 

 even by the most prominent thinkers of all historical epochs, 

 preceding the formation of successive system, i.e. dialectic 

 system and materialism (119) . 



(30) Semen Gerasimovich Zybelin (1735-1802), after 

 finishing the study in Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy, joined 

 Moscow University till the opening there of a medical 

 faculty. After he finished the course, he was sent to study 

 medicine abroad. At Leiden, Zybelin defended a doctor's 

 dissertation in 1764. After returning back to Moscow he 

 read courses of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pharmacology 

 and therapy as a professor in the mediqal faculty. In 1784, 

 he was elected member of the Academy of Science (121) . 



(31) Prince Dmitrii Alekseevich Golitsyn (1731-1803), 

 a prominent Russian diplomat, was a former ambassador in 



615 



