Page:Cellular pathology as based upon physiological and pathological histology.djvu/15

Rh up their knowledge by reading the current medical literature, will find but little that is new in these lectures. The rest will not, by reading them, be spared the trouble of being obliged to study the subjects, which are here only briefly touched upon, more closely in the histological, physiological and pathological works. But they will at least be in possession of a summary of the discoveries which are the most important as far as the cellular theory is concerned, and they will easily be able to add their more accurate study of the individual subjects to the connected exposition which I here give them of the whole. Nay, this very exposition may perhaps afford a direct stimulus for such more accurate study; and if it do but this, it will have done enough.

The time at my disposal was not sufficient to enable me to write out and revise a work like this. I was therefore constrained to have the lectures taken down in short-hand, just as they were delivered, and to publish them with but slight alterations. Herr Langenhaun has executed his stenographical task with great care. As far as the shortness of the time permitted, and wherever the text would otherwise have been difficult of apprehension to the inexperienced, I have had woodcuts made from the drawings on the board, and more particularly from the microscopical preparations which were sent round. Completeness in this respect could not be attained, seeing that, even as it is, the publication of the work has been delayed some months in consequence of the preparation of the woodcuts.

RUD. VIRCHOW.
 * , August 20th, 1858.