Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 92. (Budapest, 1980)

TANULMÁNYOK - Miczbán Izabella: A sejtkép személetének alakulása a XX. században (magyar és angol nyelven)

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VIEW ON THE CELL IMAGE IN THE 20th CENTURY IZABELLA MICZBÁN It was nearly one and a half century ago, in 1838—39, that a cell theory covering the whole of the biosphere and aimed at a unified viewpoint interpretation of both the vegetal and the animal organisms was found. [6, 22] The evolution of cytology and that of the view on the cell image lead towards microscopic anatomy. The anatomic thought introduced by Morgagni (1682—1771) reached its full development in Virchow's (1821—1902) cellular pathology. About this time, tendencies arose which made use of pathological cell forms to diagnose disease processes. [24] There we have the early appearance of cytodiagnostics, the practical aspect of cytology. The primary goal was oncocytodiagnostics, that is, an early diagnosis of malignant tumours upon the assumption of a "specific tumour cell". After this hypothesis had proved to be groundless, cytodiagnostics was pushed into the background for a while, due in no slight measure to the influence of classical cellular pathologists distrustful of the new testing methods since cytodiagnostic smears lacked the coherent visual information the histological image could provide. The renaissance of clinical cytology, of cytodiagnostics arrived only in the second quarter of our century with the appearance of Papanicolau (1883 — 1962). The so called classical cytology analyzed the structure of celts and tissues on fixed and stained preparations. Classical cytology produced cell pictures which could be reproduced with the help of carefully elaborated microtechnics. This method of representation could be characterized by Nissl's theory of the equivalent image of the neuron. By this we understand the microscopic image of the nerve cell which is gained as a rule from the tissues of an animal killed in a particular way, after a particular microtechnical treatment of the nerve tissue, under particular conditions. No doubt this is a correct definition, we can see not the cell but quasi an analogy of the cell. Correct methods brought about correct results and placed morphology on solid bases. These solid bases, however, were rigid as well, impeding further development. [7, 14, 16] In this period, morphology was regarded by many as an accomplished science. A "proverb" was formulated this time: "Ein Anatom is entweder faul, oder dumm." Similar cases are not unknown for the history of science. It is commonly known that young Planck was tried to be talked out of becoming a physicist lest he should waste his talent on such an unprospectful science as physics. Fortunately enough, Planck did not take the advice, and fortunatety enough there were morphologists who perceived the impasse and were capable to get over it. For this latter view stood in Hungary the Huzella school within which Törő, Kiszely, Lengyel and Vadász dealt with the cell problem in the scope of the general biological view. Szentágothai and his disciples