Abstract
There are few immunologists who have not had occasion to resent the skepticism with which many of the theoretical phases of our subject have been received by workers in the older medical sciences. “An esoteric cult based on an hypothesis that was discarded generations ago by normal physiologists,” is a typical criticism, that was made in my presence, several years ago, by Professor Cushny. “An ingenious collection of metaphors,” was the parallel comment by Professor Starling. “A pseudoscience of juggled hypotheses and superficial analogies,” in the opinion of Jacques Loeb.
The obvious answer, of course, is to point to the fact that the criticism applies equally well to many phases of their own subjects. Nevertheless, I have thought it might not be without interest if I took up very briefly certain typical concepts of immunology, with an inquiry as to how far these concepts are in accord with known physiological facts.
Footnotes
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↵1 Presidential address, American Association of Immunologists, Albany, N. Y. April 1, 1926.
- Received April 1, 1926.
- Copyright © 1926 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
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