viii PREFACE. 



dictory opinions, or, where the enumeration of these was 

 unavoidable, by the absence of any guide to what it is 

 necessary for the student to believe. I have striven to do 

 this without sacrifice of what may be called physiological 

 truth ; and I trust that the difficulty will not be thought 

 an altogether mean excuse for some apparent errors of 

 commission or omission in the performance. In the re- 

 construction of the parts referred to, and in bringing the 

 present edition up to the standard required by recent in- 

 vestigations, it has been necessary to re-write many parts 

 of the work ; and where descriptions, especially of the 

 minute structure of organs and tissues, seemed insufficient, 

 the same plan has been adopted. In doing this, however, 

 I have endeavoured to preserve the unity of style and plan 

 so essential in treatises intended for students. 



A short account of such elementary tissues as are not 

 described in the body of the work has been added in a 

 separate chapter to the present edition, in conformity with 

 the expressed wishes of a large number of students. 



To many friends my thanks are due for counsel and 

 assistance ; but especially I am indebted to Mr. Savory, 

 not only for much valuable help during the revision of 

 the whole work, but for his kindness in looking over 

 many of the proof sheets in the passage of the book 

 through the press. 



Wherever new matter has been taken from other 

 works a reference has of course been given. A special 

 acknowledgment is, however, due to the seventh edition 

 of Quain's Anatomy, for assistance in re-writing many 

 portions of the work devoted to the description of the 

 microscopic anatomy of organs and tissues, and for the 

 use of a considerable number of illustrations. 



W. MOEEANT BAKER. 



The College, 



St. Bartholomew's Hospital. 

 October, 1867. 



