PREFACE. 5 



works upon histology contain, of course, much that is of 

 no great physiological interest or importance, and the best 

 anatomical treatises do not generally give a description 

 of parts with particular reference to their physiology. To 

 facilitate the thorough comprehension of the subject, the 

 author has carefully detailed certain anatomical points, a 

 familiarity with which is necessarily involved in an accu- 

 rate study of nervous physiology. 



The publishers of this series, having lately issued 

 Prof. Hammond's treatise on Nervous Diseases, are de- 

 sirous of presenting a complete work on the "Physiology 

 and Pathology of the Nervous System." Both Prof. Ham- 

 mond and the author of this volume heartily concur in 

 this plan. Though the full consideration of the physiology 

 of the nervous system would perhaps be out of place in 

 a treatise on nervous diseases, a thorough knowledge of 

 its functions is none the less important as a preparation 

 for the intelligent study of its pathology. The present 

 volume was written as one of the series on the " Physi- 

 ology of Man," but will also be issued as the first vol- 

 ume of a complete work on the Physiology and Diseases 

 of the Nervous System. It is proper to state that the 

 two volumes thus published were written independently 

 of each other, and that Prof. Hammond is in nowise re- 

 sponsible for the author's views upon physiology, nor for 

 any errors or defects that may be found in his part of the 

 work. The reader, however, will find few points upon 

 which there is any radical or important difference of opin- 

 ion ; but where these differences occur, they have been 

 frankly stated, and each author is solely responsible for 

 his own opinions and statements. 



