6 STUDIES IN ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY. 



presupposes them at many steps, yet historically almost the 

 exact opposite is true. It is a trait of the human mind ap- 

 parently to attack a problem by attempting at once the 

 explanation of its deepest questions. Thales, Anaximan- 

 der, Anaximenes, Heraclitus and other early Grecian phil- 

 osophers busied themselves with trying to explain the ulti- 

 mate essence of things before the world had made even 

 the first real attempt to learn something of the things them- 

 selves. 



HIPPOCRATES. 



Ancient writers cite Hippocrates of Macedon as the 

 person in whom physiological observations began. He is 

 often called the " Father of Medicine." Hippocrates was 

 a contemporary of Socrates and Plato, and he is especially 

 deserving of credit because he insisted that the proper way 

 to study disease and health was by observation and experi- 

 ment, and not by the application of general deductions. 

 He antedated Bacon many centuries in trying to establish 

 the inductive method of scientific investigation. While 

 Hippocrates added but little to the physiological con- 

 ceptions of his times, he described numerous phenomena 

 with great care, and made observations and experiments 

 which made him the foremost physician of his time. We 

 still speak of the Hippocratic face after death, of the 

 Hippocratic sleeve for straining syrups and decoctions, and 

 in our drug stores may still be bought the wine of Hippo- 

 crates, supposed to be made after the formula of that early 

 physician. 



AEISTOTLE. 



But while Hippocrates has possibly the honor of being 

 the first scientific physician, the honor of being the first to 

 study physiology scientifically belongs to' Aristotle, often 

 called the "Father of the Sciences." True it is that 

 Aristotle laid down many of the fundamental conceptions 

 of our sciences of to-day. One is astonished at his general 

 knowledge, and in many cases the careful investigations of 



