WOLFF AS A MONISTIC PHILOSOPHER 4,7 



naturalists were to construct the foundation of the know- 

 ledge of the morphology of the animal and vegetable body. 

 But our admiration for this eminent genius is still greater 

 when we discover that he also first indicated the famous 

 cellular theory. Indeed, Wolff had, as Huxley first pointed 

 out, an evident presentiment of this fundamental theory, 

 for he considered minute microscopical vesicles to be the 

 real elementary parts constituting the germ-layers. 



Finally, particular attention must be directed to the 

 monistic character of the profound philosophical reflections 

 which Wolff published in connection with all his admirable 

 investigations. Wolff was a great monistic Natural Phi- 

 losopher, in the best and most correct sense of the word. 

 It is true that his philosophical researches, like his ex- 

 perimental ones, were ignored for more than half a century, 

 and have not even yet met with the recognition which 

 they deserve ; but we therefore emphasize yet more 

 strongly the fact that their tendency was strictly in that 

 line of philosophy which we call monistic, and which alone 

 Kin be considered correct 



