Page:Defensive Ferments of the Animal Organism (3rd edition).djvu/197

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172
PREPARATION OF THE SUBSTRATES

originating from a morbus Basedowi would be subject to decomposition. Just as every case examined has to be thoroughly tested by clinical means, and its further course closely followed up, so also must the substrate to be employed be characterized exactly. A bare statistical compilation of cases, with percentage accounts of faulty diagnoses is unworthy of scientific publication. Each separate case must be clinically investigated. This is the reason why the fruits of these researches are bound to fall into the hands of clinical observers. The physiologist can only note one case after another without being able to characterize them individually, or even to observe them continuously, and, in consequence, we can expect little help from his side.

A very important question is whether, instead of human organs, the corresponding organs of animals may be used in experiments with human serum.[1] It would naturally be a great advantage in all these researches if this were the case. Our earliest researches enabled us to state the fact that human placenta can be replaced by that of animals, and vice versa.[2] We have made further experiments with the brain and other organs, and have obtained good results. It seems that organs which have the same


  1. Compare here also p. 27.
  2. Compare also the works of Schlimpert and Issel (Lit. 74), of v. Hippel (Lit. 119), Fuchs (Lit. 111).