52 THE CELL DOCTRINE. 



from previously existing nuclei. In this short paper of 

 three pages, are contained, as stated, the essentials of 

 the cell doctrine of Virchow, and as it has recently as- 

 sumed additional interest on controversial* grounds, 

 it may be well to introduce as much as bears directly 

 upon the subject. " The centre of nutrition with 

 which we are most familiar, is that from which the 

 whole organism derives its origin, — the germinal 

 Sfot of the ovum. From this, all the other centres 

 are derived, either mediately or immediately ; and 

 in directions, numbers, and arrangements, which 

 induce the configuration and structure of the being. 

 As the entire organism is formed at first, not by si- 

 multaneous formation of its parts, but by the suc- 

 cessive development of these from one centre, so the 

 various parts arise each from its own centre, this 

 being the original source of all the centres with 

 which the .part is ultimately supplied. 



"From this it follows, not only that the entire or- 

 ganism, as has been stated by the authors of the 

 cellular theory, consists of simple or developed cells, 

 each having a peculiar independant vitality, but 

 that there is in addition, a division of the whole into 

 departments, each containing a certain number of de- 

 veloped cells, all of which hold certain relations to one 

 central or capital cell, around which they are grouped. 

 It would appear that from this central cell, all the 

 other cells of its department derive their origin. It 

 is the mother of all those within its own territory. 



* Edinburgh Monthly Medical Journal, February and April, 

 1869, pp. 766 and 959. 



