; but it had the good and ill fortune at once to develop at a time when first the clinical theme, then the anatomo clinical method were depriving nosology of its real content, but not without producing effects though temporary ones of mutual reinforcement: we have seen how the idea of class was corral tive with a certain neutral observation of symptoms,' how clinical decipherment involved a reading of essences;' we are now seeing how pathological anatomy was ordered, quite spoil taneously, in accordance with a certain form of nosograpliy.