THE 



PRINCIPLES OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 



Physiology, vegetable, comparative, and human Animate an 

 inanimate Bodies Objects of Physiology Usefulness of 

 Physiological Knowledge Illustrations Evils of Ignorance 

 Error in separating Anatomy and Physiology from their 

 practical Applications Object of the present Publication. 



PHYSIOLOGY, from Qvds nature, and Aoyo? discourse, 

 signifies literally a discourse about natural powers, 

 but, as now used, it applies exclusively to the doc- 

 trine of the uses or functions of the different con- 

 stituent parts of beings endowed with the principle 

 of life. As applied to the vegetable kingdom, it is 

 called Vegetable Physiology ; to the lower animals, 

 Comparative Physiology ; and to man, Human Phy- 

 siology. In all these instances, however, the objects 

 of physiology are the same, viz. the exposition of 

 the mechanism and laws by which the various func- 

 tions which characterize living bodies are carried 

 on, so as to fit each individual for the particular 

 sphere in which the Creator intended it to exist. 

 * The grand mark of distinction between animate 

 and inanimate bodies is to be found in the different 

 relations in which they stand to the ordinary laws 

 of the material world. Inanimate or unorganized 

 bodies have no internal power of action, and of 

 themselves can effect no change. Possessed of 

 B 



