The Combe lectures on physiology / lectures by William Stirling.

  • Stirling, William, 1851-1932.
Date:
[1882]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Combe lectures on physiology / lectures by William Stirling. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    spheres of life. He produced many literary and philosophical works. The chief of these works were his papers on Education, and what was ])erhans his greatest work, The Constitution of Man. He (lied in 1858, having lived long enough to see the par- tial development of the principles of education whicli lie had done so much by his writings to advance and establish on a firm footing, and so to ]iave the way for important pi-actical issues — (applause). Departing from liis sketch of George Combe, Pro- fessor Stiiding said liis endeavour would be to make the lectures of the present series suffi- ciently popular to interest those attending them in scientific matters, in matters concerning the different parts and tlie modes of action of the human body, so tliat tliey might in the most literal sense know themselves—(applause). Of the many skilled artisans wlio were present there were ]irobably some acquainted witli the construction of a watch, others with that of a steam-engine, and others v/ith that of other pieces of human mechanism, but he thought he could assume tliat there were few among them tliere that evening who knew much about the working and structure of theii- own bodies. These lectures, then, were intended to show people how theu- bodies were buUt up, how the various parts of the body worked, how the different conditions wliich influenced health were to be stiidied, and especially to direct attention to the conditions that created disease, to show the practical value of pm-e air and water, of healthy and wholesome dwellings and unadulterated food, and, if possible, to make those attending the course wiser and better men and women—(applause). He said women in particular, for the very good reason that very much of the care of the infant devolved upon the mother, and because as was the infant so would be the adult—(applause). If a living being were looked at, no matter whether it were ]ilant or animal, it would be found that the higher class consisted of great diversity of iiarts. The study of the structure and arrangement of these parts con- stituted anatomy, and the study of tlie numerous actions or functions, as they were technically termed, of the organisms constituted physiology. Some of the actions of the organisms such as the moving of the lips in speech, the contraction of a number of the muscles, or ratlicr the result of that contraction, the contraction of the