PRE ACE. 
Ir is admitted beyond all question that even an 
elementary study of human physiology ought to be 
preceded by a more or less thorough dissection of 
some mammal. This little book, prepared originally 
for the author’s own class, is intended to give this 
necessary anatomical basis to those who have not the 
opportunity of dissecting the human body. With this 
purpose in view, attention has been directed to those 
organs which are the chief objects of physiological 
study, rather than to those which have mainly an ana- 
tomical interest. One chapter has been inserted 
treating of the anatomy of the muscles of the shoulder 
and arm, but the author does not think it advisable to 
require this of a class unless there is abundance of 
timeat the teacher’s disposal. The anatomy of these 
muscles is of no particular importance in general phy- 
siology, and even from the standpoint of comparative 
anatomy it has but little value owing to the incom- 
plete knowledge possessed with regard to muscle 
homologies among the mammalia. With reference to 
the muscles of the abdomen and the thorax the case 
is very different: these muscles play an important part 
in the performance of the respiratory movements, and 
their position and relations ought to be known by the 
student. Descriptions of these muscles, therefore, 
