EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



The absence from our medical literature of a systematic treatise on 

 Microscopical Anatomy, in its connection with Physiology and Pathology, 

 induced the Editor nearly a year since, to undertake a translation of 

 Prof. Kolliker's Manual of Human Microscopical Anatomy. Whilst his 

 translation was in progress, he learned that the Sydenham Society in- 

 tended to publish an English edition of the work, and that, indeed, the 

 first volume of this was ready to be issued. As the time and labor requi- 

 site for an original translation, would have prolonged the publication of 

 this work far beyond that of the Sydenham Society, the Editor did not 

 judge it expedient, to delay the appearance of an American edition longer 

 than was necessary. He resolved, therefore, to adopt the translation 

 published by the Sydenham Society, and merely to append such notes 

 as he intended to have added to his own edition. 



The work itself does not need any lengthy comment ; the distinguished 

 name of the author being a sufficient guarantee of its excellence. It 

 was published in the latter months of 1852, under the title of " Hand- 

 buch der Gewebelehre" (Manual of Human Histology), and was designed 

 by the author to serve as a text-book for students and practitioners 

 of medicine, by giving a condensed view of the elementary parts of the 

 Human Organism. By appending a full account of the method to be 

 employed in the investigation of the separate tissues and organs, as 

 well as the sources from which further information might be derived, 

 the author has, at the same time, rendered his work a valuable guide for 

 independent research. 



The Translators have faithfully rendered the text of the original. 

 They have also added several sentences from Professor Kolliker's larger 

 work on Microscopical Anatomy, and, in the shape of Notes and an 

 Appendix, many original observations of their own. 



