ANATOMY. 



duct having been traced to its termination 

 in a blood-vessel, the passage of the chyle 

 was completely made out. The discovery 

 of the absorbent vessels in other parts of 

 tlie body, where they are known by the 

 name of lymphatics, from the transparent 

 colour of their contents, very soon follow- 

 ed that of ,he lacteal and thoracic duct. 

 Rudbeck,a Swede, isgenerally allowed to 

 have been the first who discovered these 

 vessels; but this honour was disputed with 

 him by Burtholi n, a learned Dane. By these 

 vessels the old particles of our bodies, 

 which are no longer fit to remain in it, are 

 removed and conveyed into the blood, to 

 be elimina ed by the excretory organs 



Leeuenhoeck took up the subject of 

 anatomical inquiry, where others had left 

 it. He investigated the minute structure 

 of the body by the help of magnifying 

 glasses ; and was thereby enabled to de- 

 monstrate the circulation of the blood in 

 the pellucid parts of living animals ; the 

 red globules of the blood, and the animal- 

 cula of the semen were first observed by 

 this anatomist. Malpighi also directed his 

 attention chiefly to the developement of 

 minute structure; as that of the glands or 

 secretory organs of the body. 



About this time anatomy made two 

 jreat steps, by the invention of injections, 

 andthe method of making anatomical pre- 

 parations. For these we are indebted to 

 the Dutch, particularly Swammerdam and 

 Ruysch. The anatomists of former ages 

 had no other knowledge of the blood-ves- 

 sels, than what they could collect from la- 

 borious dissections, and from examining 

 the smaller branches of them upon some 

 lucky occasion, when they were found 

 more than commonly loaded with red 

 blood. But filling the vascular system with 

 a bright coloured wax, enables us to trace 

 the large vessels with great ease, renders 

 the smaller much more conspicuous, and 

 makes thousands of the very minute ones 

 visible, which, from theirdelicacy,andthe 

 transparency of their natural contents,are 

 otherwise imperceptible. The modern 

 art of corroding the fleshy pails with a 

 menstruum, and of leaving the moulded 

 wax entire, is so exceedingly useful, and 

 at the- sametime so ornamental, that it does 

 great honour to the ingenious inventor, 

 Dr.Nichols. The method of castingfigures 

 in wax, plaister, or lead, is also a great ac- 

 quisition to anatomy, as it enables us to 

 preserve a very perfect likeness of such 

 subjects as we but seldom meet with, or 

 cannot well preserve in a natural state. 

 The modern improved methods of pre- 

 serving animal bodies, or parts of them, in 

 spirits, tiasbeen of the greatest service to 



anatomy; especially in saving the time 

 and labour of the anatomist, in the nicer 

 dissections of the small paitsof the body. 

 For now, whatever he has prepared with 

 care, he can preserve,. and the object is 

 ready to be seen at any time. And, in the 

 same manner, he can preserve anatomical 

 curiosities and rarities of every kind; 

 such as parts that are uncommonly form- 

 ed ; parts that are diseased ; the parts of 

 the pregnant uterus, and its contents. 

 Large collections of such curiosities, 

 which modern anatomists are striving 

 every where to procure, are of infinite 

 service to the art; especially in the hands 

 of teachers. They give students clear 

 ideas about many things, which it is very 

 essential to know, and yet, which it is im- 

 possible that a teacher should be able to 

 shew otherwise, were he ever so well 

 supplied with fresh subjects. 



When anatomy had thus become a clear 

 and distinct science, it was inculcated and 

 taught, in the different nations of Europe, 

 by numerous professors, with a zeal and 

 industry highly honourable to themselves, 

 and useful to mankind. As the prejudices 

 of mankind respecting dissection have in 

 a great measure subsided, the difficulties, 

 which formerly obstructed anatomical re- 

 searches, have mostly disappeared, and a 

 sufficient quantity of subjects for anato- 

 mical purposescan generally be procured. 

 In most, perhaps in all, the countries of 

 the continent of Europe, the government 

 has provided for the want of anatomists 

 in this particular. In England, however, 

 it still remains a matter of considerable 

 difficulty and expense to procure the 

 means of instruction in practical anatomy ; 

 and, accordingly, while foreigners have 

 been enriching science with many splen- 

 did works, the name of one Englishman 

 cannot for many years past be recorded 

 in the annals of anatomy. We wish we 

 could announce to our readers any pros- 

 pect of a change in this respect; but 

 here literature and science are left to 

 themselves, and must advance unaided 

 by the patronage of government, or not 

 advance at all. 



It would occupy us too long to detail 

 the labours and discoveries of all the emi- 

 nent men, who have immortalized them- 

 selves in anatomy during the last century. 

 We may state,, generally, that every part of 

 the human body has been most thoroughly 

 and minutely examined and described ; 

 and accurate and elegant engravings have 

 appeared of every part. So that a student, 

 in these days, possesses every facility for 

 the prosecution of his anatomical labours 

 The bones and muscles have been most 



