2 SCHMIDT ON THE COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 



forbid us to base lofty edifices of theories and laws upon but few- 

 observations, on the other hand it compels us not to be satisfied, 

 like the mason, with the mere collection of the building-stones, 

 and to lose sight, over accumulating details, of a higher object, 

 but at certain stages to look around, to arrange the results ob- 

 tained, to compare them with known phaenomena, and thus to 

 extend our intellectual horizon. 



The present treatise forms an attempt at this, viz. to test 

 experimentally Reil's celebrated position, " that the phaenomena 

 of individual life are the necessary result of form and com- 

 position ;" to introduce a new element, comparative chemistry, 

 together with comparative anatomy, into the physics of organized 

 beings, and thus to obtain new points of support for a rational 

 philosophy of nature. Of course the real value of rough and 

 minute comparative anatomy, especially the latter, ought not to 

 be depreciated. Where it appertains to the subject, I have con- 

 sidered it necessary specially to detail the researches of others as 

 well as myself on this point. 



I have, however, avoided unnecessary anatomical detail. My 

 desire was merely to state my own observations, and especially 

 to show how comparative anatomy and chemistry mutually sup- 

 port each other, and must go hand in hand in order to form ap/iy- 

 siology of the animal kingdom, which, for its part again, can then 

 alone suffice to satisfy the higher mental claims when in combi- 

 nation with psychology and speculative philosophy generally. Un- 

 fortunately but little has been effected in regard to the latter ; 

 in fact, contrary to the broad path of empirical investigation, it 

 constantly recedes from us ; of course abstracted from the un- 

 founded phantasies of the incompetent followers of the youthful 

 Schelling, which being now out of date, merely deserve mention 

 as forming historical records for our future warning. 



I have first given a general sketch, then proceed to the details, 

 and finally recur to all that has been previously stated, where I 

 shall attempt to develope some interesting positions in general 

 physiology based upon them. 



I. General View. 



We so often find in the animal and vegetable kingdom a 

 remarkable connexion between matter and form, i. e. a peculiar 

 form and arrangement of the morphological elements so frequentlj'^ 

 corresponds to a definite combination of the chemical ones, that 



