Elements of physiology / By A. Richerand ... Translated from the French by G.J.M. de Lys, M.D.

  • Anthelme Richerand
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elements of physiology / By A. Richerand ... Translated from the French by G.J.M. de Lys, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ant discoveries that have immortalized such names as Harvey, Hunter, Monro, seems as if it had unfitted them for the more laborious and ungracious task of compiling and arranging the discoveries of oHiers. How seldom may we expect to meet with such a combination of genius and indefatigable industry, as was seen in the. great Haller ; yet without a certain degree, at least, of the same qualities, no writer can pretend to tread in his footsteps. It is probable too, that the great work itself of Haller, at the same time that it best illustrates the importance of the undertaking, and its difficulty, must be considered as having long remained, by its excellence, an impediment to the pro¬ duction of a similar succeeding work. Haller was fifty years engaged in the most ardent study of Physiology: his work, besides all that he himself, the great leader in physiological discovery, and also the most extensive discoverer, wished to give to the world, of his own, contained all that was known on the subject, at the time it appeared. As it was written too, in the Latin language, it found a ready access to every school of Medicine, and was every where received by the Profession as, at once, the most authentic record of the facts of Physi¬ ology, and the most luminous exposition of the principles of ,the science. We cannot wonder, therefore, that, while Haller had exclusive possession of Physiology, no other writer should have attempted any work on the same subject, even for some time after his death, while the additions to the mass of knowledge were not sufficient to effect any important change in the science. Now, however, enough has been added to change, in many important respects, the face of the science, and to demand systematic arrangement. Of late years, accord¬ ingly, several works, composed vvith this view, have appeared on the Continent; amongst which may be mentioned those of Blumeiibach, Bichat, Dr. Dumas of Montpellier, and M. Richerand. This priority in the systematic arrangement of our know¬ ledge does not, however, at all imply that the progress of Physiology abroad has been more rapid than in this country. It would be difficult to say where it is furthest advanced. If a comparative view were to be given of the science, as it exists in Britain and on the Continent, it would rather appear that a different excellence has been attained on either side, accompanied, of course, by different defects. In Britain, it might be shown that it is founded on sounder principles, and more freed from the doctrines of the older Physiologists, who were rather given to invent explanations of the phenomena of Nature, than to seek them in the laborious investigation of her operations. The Physiologists of this country have stu-