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                                                       “SCIENCE IS PREVISION”                                              245

 

I have, in fact,” said this genius, “set up a theory of molecular asymmetry—one of the most important and wholly surprising chapters of science—which opens up a new, distant, but definite, horizon for physiology.”

Again, Pasteur wrote:

“The characteristic of erroneous theories is that they are never able to present new facts; and every time a fact of this nature is discovered, in order to take it into account, they are obliged to graft a new hypothesis upon the old ones. The characteristic of true theories, on the contrary, is of being the expression of the facts them­selves, of being commanded and dominated by them, of being able to foresee new facts certainly, because these by their nature are linked up with the former—in a word, the characteristic of these theories is fecundity.”*

As a “ crucial test “ of the true nature of a supposed malignant tumour it is inconceivable that anything should be named beside the stereo-chemical one. To carry it out in some of the many wealthy official cancer research laboratories would be a matter of ease for any stereo-chemist. It would not be a serious drain on the vast funds of many of them to engage the services of a trained stereo-chemist to do the work. The cost could hardly equal—certainly not exceed—that of the publication of a single “scientific report.” The results obtained by a properly qualified man—a scientific investigator in the true spirit as well as in the letter—would at all events tend to close for ever one pathway leading to error (Huxley) ; and I venture to think—whether it be a hanging matter or not—that it might open the eyes of the medical profession to the roadway leading to scientific

 

* Vallery-Radot, René: “La Vie de Pasteur.” Paris, 1901. p. 352. What Pasteur termed “a true theory” I identify as “a general principle.”

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