Henry Charlton Bastian

Henry Charlton Bastian (26 April 1837 in Truro, Cornwall, England – 17 November 1915 in Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire) was an English physiologist and neurologist.

Bastian was born at Truro, Cornwall and graduated from University of London in 1861.

[1] In 1867, Bastian was elected Professor of Pathology and Assistant Physician at UCL Medical School and successively became Professor of Clinical Medicine at UCL Medical School.

[1] He believed he witnessed the spontaneous generation of living organisms out of non living matter under his microscope and therefore argued against the concept of germ theory.

He promoted a theory of "heterogenesis", a process by which existing living beings give birth to wholly different forms.