THE STUDY OF PHYSIOLOGY. 43 



on the outer border of each system of ti-ades, together with the sev- 

 eral observations by which these limits were determined, are all clearly 

 and distinctly shown for each month, on a single sheet. 



In 1863 the publication of Maury's charts was discontinued ; but 

 in 1876 other charts, similar in nature, though entirely different in the 

 method of compilation, were begun, are now in progress, and will be 

 continued, until sets for all the navigable waters of the globe are com- 

 pleted ; and it is a description of these new charts that will constitute 

 the second paper of this article. 



THE STUDY OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



Bt p. h. pye-smith, b. a., m. d., 



VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE BIOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



BIOLOGY is the science of the structure, the functions, the distri- 

 bution, and the succession in time of all living beings. If the 

 proper study of mankind be man, he has learned late in the inquiry 

 that he can only understand himself by recognizing that he is but one 

 in the vast network of organic creation ; that intelligible human anat- 

 omy must be based upon comparative anatomy ; that human physiology 

 can only be approached as a branch of general physiology, and that 

 even the humblest mold or sea-weed may furnish help to explain the 

 most important problems of human existence. 



The branch of physiology which is concerned with man, not as an 

 individual, but a family, the branch which we now call Anthropology, 

 is obviously related to practical politics, and it was not without reason 

 that the late illustrious pathologist Rokitansky began a speech in the 

 Upper House of the Austrian Parliament on the autonomy of the Bohe- 

 mian nation with the words, " The question really is, whether the doc- 

 trine of Darwin be true or' no." 



In another dej^artment, that of psychology, the physiology of the 

 nervous system has already thrown more light upon the mysterious 

 phenomena of consciousness than was gained by the acutest minds of 

 all ages without the help of anatomical methods. 



All the improvements of modern agriculture and stock-breeding 

 rest upon more or less fully understood scientific principles, and the 

 more perfectly the results have been first worked out in the laboratory 

 the more safe and the more luci-ative will be their application in the 

 field.* 



Still more important is the relation of physiology to the national 

 health. The commonplaces of hygiene which are now, one may be 



* I need only refer to the fruitful labors of Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert in this di- 

 rection. 



