362 
M. L. TRASBOT. 
blinded under the power of a systematic law, accepted without 
discussion, because it is formulated by a man of immense talent 
and great power of persuasion. This error, born from the doc¬ 
trine of Broussais, was not the only one it gave rise to. Ilow many 
more enormous by their conseqnences, can be traced to it. 
Specially in therapeutics. What excess was not reached when 
almost all diseases were treated by abundant and repeated blood¬ 
lettings ? 
In the future and even from to day, it may be said that simi¬ 
lar systems would have no chance of long successful life. Ho 
matter how great the talent which might present and defend 
them, they would soon fall to pieces in presence of the control 
of experimentation. 
The definitive application of the experimental method to the 
study of biological science, must in future render these mistakes, 
if not impossible, at least only moinentaneous. By it, all these 
doctrines, based only upon more or less ingenious speculations, 
which often conceal their insanity under the greatness and ele¬ 
gance of their form, will soon be wiped away. 
Simple, precise and well-circumstanced data, is what a sure 
method teaches us to exact first of all as scientific materials. 
It shows, besides, that a single, positive fact, obtained by an 
experiment carried on according to a severe determinism, lias an 
absolute signification that no theory can infirm. All those, whose 
laws are contradicted by a single experimental result, are false or 
incomplete, and must be thrown aside. Consequently, from the 
day, when it was well observed, that gourme had been commu¬ 
nicated to a healthy horse by either placing it alongside a sick 
one, or, better, by inoculating him, one can affirm positively that 
this disease is contagious. The proof of the correctness of this 
affirmation is complete and irrefragable, and no one to-day would 
think to express a doubt on this point. It would then be super¬ 
fluous to insist to firmly establish a truth which no one would 
contest. 
The only question which really remains to resume here is that 
of the various mechanisms by which the contamination may be 
effected. In truth, all are known, but not collected in a single 
