Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Memoir of the late Martin Barry, M.D., F.R.SS.L. and E. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
10/12
![5'0 manner every part of an animal isdireetly deseemied from the liyaline-nucdeus of the g;erm-eell. He also conceived that he had <lemonstratod that eacli nucleus possesses a minute orifice, correspondiii;^; a))parentl3’ to the nucleolus, which he regarded as the nhsorlient a]iertuie throu;^h which tlie materials necessary for tlie furtlier changes in tlie nucleus are introduced. A cidlected account of these views was read to the Wernerian Natural History Society of Edinhurgh, and published in Jameson’s New Phil. Journal for JB47. The histological views adopted Ijy Dr Harry in tlie three meinoirs to which I have last referred, viz., in his papers on tlie “Blood Corpu.scles,” “On Fibre,” and on the “ Nucleus of the Animal and Vegetable Cell,” did not meet with tliat assent from the opinion, nor support from the observations of other ])hyBiolonists which he had fondly anticijiated ; ami they were even somewhat rouglily handled by some writem on histology. The confidence of tiieir author in tlieir truth did not ajijiear from this, however, to have been in any degree diminished, and, accordingly, after a jiariial recovery of his health and his eyesight, w'e fiml him interesting Professor Purkinje of Breslau in his views, to such an extent as to induce him to rejieat witli him a number of his observations on the spiral structure of nurscle, and some other textures, and to translate into German a hmg paper of Dr Barry’s on that subject, which was published in Muller’s Arcliiv. of Physiology for J850. An Engli.sh version of the .same paper, somewhat abridged, together with newer observations of his own, and deductions from those of others, was also j'uldished liy Dr Barry in the Philosophical Ma<jazinc for August lJlo2. Shortly after that time, 1 received several visits from Dr Barry, during which we made together, some mieroscojiic examinations of specimens of muscular fihrillie, 1 liad in my possession. Knowing well Dr Barry’s desire to obtain assent to his views, I took pains, both in conversation and in writing to him afterwards, to assure Dr Barry that I was not a convert to his views of the 8])iral structure of muscular fibre; but I found that his anxiety to obtain support, led him to attach weight to every expression, however indirect, which seemed to indicate assent, while much stronger expressions of dissent were disregarded. The result of tlie.se and other examinations by Dr Barry, were recorded in a second )iaper on muscular fibre, published by him in the Philosophical Mayazine for November 1B.),T It would take a much more detailed considemtion of the whole series of observations recorded in Dr Barry’s papers, than 1 could enter u])on here, to enable me to give any criticism of these researches, or to explain the circum- stances in which 1 think he may' lie in the right or have fallen into error. Now that he is no more, and his works alone remain, it will be more pleasing to endeavour to e.xtract that which is good .and true from them, rather than to discuss fully their errors, and this will be, I hope, the result of continued imiuiry. In the meantime, if it may he jiermitted, in these circumstances, to make only one remarkon the general character of Dr Barry’s histological researche.«, 1 would say that, while they jiresent us ■with most commendable examples of literary research, scientific acumen, and patient, minute, and persevering <d)servation ; they' also show' the injurious (diect w'hich the pie- dominance of too .sjieculative a view in the mind of an observer, may exercise on the observation and description of the appearances w'hich form the subject of his investigation. I esteetned Dr Barry’ as a friend, and valued him as a most ardent and per- severing iii(|uircr. V\ hatev'er niay' he thought of his intlividual observations, it cannot be doubted that his researches as a whole, g.'vve a deciiled impulse to the jirogress of knowledge in the departments of which they tieat, paitly by' the actual contribution of some new and valuable facts and observations, and partly’ by the ingenuity of his speculative views, the vigour with which they were supported, and the discussions to ■which they' necessarily’ gave And while 'W'e must regret the loss of one so well qualified to eiigage in scientific research, we may justly’ place Dr Barry in the rank to which his ambition](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24931652_0010.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
