THE NEW PHYSIOLOGY. 



i. 



THE RELATION OF PHYSIOLOGY TO PHYSICS 

 AND CHEMISTRY. 1 



IN deciding to address you on the relation of physiology 

 to physics and chemistry, I am aware that I have selected 

 a subject which has already been treated from this 

 Chair by more than one distinguished predecessor. 

 My excuse for returning to it again is that not only does 

 it possess deep scientific interest for us all, but a great 

 deal remains to be said about it. 



The majority of physiologists in recent times have 

 expressed more or less clearly the opinion that physiology 

 is the application to living organisms of the methods 

 and modes of explanation of physics and chemistry. 

 It is, in short, physics and chemistry applied to the 

 activities, of living organisms ; so that the only explana- 

 tions aimed at in physiology are, or ought to be, physical 

 and chemical explanations. A minority, who are at 

 present growing in importance, have either definitely 

 dissented from this view, or have remained unconvinced 

 of its truth. As one of this minority, I should like to 

 place before you as shortly as possible what seem to 

 me to be the main reasons of our dissent. Let me add 



1 Presidential Address, Physiological Section of British Asso- 

 ciation, Dublin, 1908. 



