THE CELL DOCTRINE. 19 



corpuscles and spermatozoids appears to have been 

 made by Haller. 



Theory of Wolff, 1759-74.~Better founded, in 

 being based upon observation, was the theory of 

 Wolff, and it contained many of the elements of 

 truth. For an available exposition of these views, 

 physiologists are much indebted to Prof Huxley, 

 who in the able review already cited, has pre- 

 sented them as agreeing partially, also, with his 

 own. The doctrine of Wolff, as given by Prof. 

 Huxley, is as follows : " Every organ is composed, at 

 first, of a mass of clear viscous, nutritive fluid, which 

 . possesses no organization of any kind, but is at most 

 composed of globules. In this semifluid mass, cavi- 

 ties (Blaschen, Zellen) are now developed ; these, if 

 they remain rounded or polygonal, become the sub- 

 sequent cells, if they elongate, the vessels ; and the 

 process is identically the same, whether it is ex- 

 amined in the vegetating point of a plant, or in the 

 young budding organs of an animal. Both cells and 

 vessels may subsequently be thickened by deposits 

 from the ' solidescible ' nutritive fluid. In the plant, 

 the cells at first communicate, but subsequently be- 

 come separated from one another ; in the animal, 

 they always remain in communication. In each case,, 

 they are mere cavities and not independent entities ; or- 

 ganization is not effected by them, hut they are the visible 

 results of the action of the organizing power inherent in 



the smallest parts we can see hy the finest microscope, diVe either 

 fibres or an organized concrete.'" 



' First Lines of Physiology. By the celebrated Baron Albertus Haller, M.D. 

 Translated from the correct Latin edition, and printed under the. inspection of 

 William Cullen, M.D. Edinburgh, 1779. 



