20 BORDEE LINES OF KNOWLEDGE 



effected by means of two principal agencies, — new 

 methods and a new instrument. 



Descriptive anatomy, as known from an early date, 

 is to the body what geography is to the planet. Now 

 geography was pretty well known so long ago as when 

 Arrowsmith, who was born in 1750, published his ad- 

 mirable maps. But in that same year was born Wer- 

 ner, who taught a new way of studying the earth, 

 since become famihar to us all under the name of 

 G-eology, 



What geology has done for our knowledge of the 

 earth, has been done for our knowledge of the body by 

 that method of study to which is given the name of 

 General Anatomy. It studies, not the organs as such, 

 but the elements out of which the organs are con- 

 structed. It is the geology of the body, as that is the 

 general anatomy of the earth. The extraordinary 

 genius of Bichat, to whom more than any other we 

 owe this new method of study, does not require Mr. 

 Buckle's testimony to impress the practitioner with 

 the importance of its achievements. I have heard a 

 very wise physician question whether any important 

 result had accrued to practical medicine from Harvey's 

 discovery of the circulation. But Anatomy, Physiol- 

 ogy, and Pathology have received a new light from 

 this novel method of contemplating the living struc- 

 tures, which has had a vast influence in enabhng the 

 practitioner at least to distinguish and predict the 

 course of disease. We know as well what differences 



