34 Dr. Beck, Pcdhohgical Evolution. [May 27, 



PATHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION. 



Pathology fbom an '' Evolution " point of view, by J. H. Meirinq 

 Beck, M.B., CM., M.E.C.P., Ed. 



[Eead 1885, May 27.] 



I may be excused if I approach my subject with considerable 

 hesitation. Its importance on the one hand, and its difficulties on the 

 other, are sufficiently great to induce the greatest diffidence in bringing 

 it forward. There are reasons why here in this countr3% however, 

 where to a large extent we have very special opportunities for the 

 investigation of disease phenomena, where, through comparative 

 isolation of the inhabitants, it becomes less difficult to trace the 

 development of disease, its progress, and means of arrest — there are 

 reasons why here particularly the question should be regarded with 

 the greatest interest. 



Since modern medical thought has begun to busy itself with the 

 '* Germ basis " of disease, and since it has become almost universally 

 accepted as a part of medical dogma that most of the diseases we have 

 to deal with have their origin in living germs, in organisms having 

 for their regulation the same laws that guide living matter in other 

 directions — since the modern medical mind has commenced to realise 

 this gi-eat fact, methods of reasoning which before would have been 

 considered inadmissible have more and more begun to force themselves 

 as proper, and in the highest degree applicable. 



In order to render excusable my object, it is necessary that I should, 

 in a concrete way, attempt to convey to the minds of those here what 

 really I consider the relationships existing between the Doctrine of 

 Evolution and the development of disease, and further that I should in 

 the same concrete manner attempt to convey in how far human know- 

 ledge will be advanced by a demonstration of the fact of such 

 application. 



My theory as it stands might be postulated briefly, and simply 

 thus : 



Most diseases with which we are acquainted have their origin in 

 tangible and living germs, demonstrable in many instances by the 

 microscope to the sense of sight. 



These germs are organisms which are low in the scale of life, and 

 have an extremely short life liistory. 



A germ produced from a pre-existing germ at this moment may, 

 before many hours have passed, have given rise to others, which 

 again in their turn, and in an equ«illy short space of time, may give 

 ri>e to further and more successive crops. This may be demonstrated 

 experimentally — e.g. : If into a rabbit, a small quantity of septicocmic 

 fluid be infected, in a few days' time the blood will be found teeming 

 witli millions of minute organisms, which go on multiplying till 

 probably they so drain the sources of food supply which are necessary 

 for the maintenance of life, in the various living cells vhich go to 

 make up the various organs of the rabbit, that death of the whole 

 animal ensues. 



Being low organisms, and having a short life hiitory, many genera- 



