IV PREFACE. 



advance in liistological studies, while liistologists themselves 

 are now more of one mind in microscopical matters. That such . 

 a book should appear under American auspices seemed further 

 to be eminently proper, as we have in various parts of the coun- 

 try a goodly number of medical men who are either engaged 

 in teaching histology or in studying some special branch of it. 



The advantages of utilizing their accumulated experiences 

 was therefore apparent by the editor, and he gladly applied 

 to them for assistance when it was found that one individual 

 could not prepare the volume within a reasonable time or 

 in a manner that would be satisfactory. It is hoped that 

 the names of the collaborators furnish a sufficient guarantee 

 that proper representatives of American histology have been 

 selected. In some respects the object sought for has not been 

 wholly attained, as, for example, in the effort to separate 

 purely human histology from the comparative. But this is 

 impossible at the present time, mainly because our knowl- 

 edge is still too limited. It is a matter of regret, also, that the 

 original illustrations have been so few in comparison with the 

 total number, but the great expense attending their production 

 would not warrant any one in attempting much in this direc- 

 tion. Through the kind co-operation, however, of Messrs. Wil- 

 liam Wood & Co., the editor has been able to utilize many 

 excellent cuts that were in their possession. 



As a further means of relieving the tedium associated with 

 a work that is so largely descriptive, the various authors havo 

 aimed to intersperse here and there throughout the text mat- 

 ters of physiological or pathological import. Still, intelligent 

 practitioners do not have to be reminded that rational thera- 

 peutics has found a substantial support in the revelations of 

 pathological anatomy, which, in turn, rests upon histology, 



