436 INTRODUCTORY LECTURES. 



chemical or mechanical. Philosophy, therefore, by explaining 

 the nature of remote causes and remedies, must be useful in phy- 

 sic, and the only doubt with regard to its general utility that can 

 remain, is, with regard to its explaining the actions of the animal 

 body itself. With regard to this, indeed, it has often failed, and 

 what is more, has often made great mistakes; nay, I would go 

 farther, and say, that it is still liable to mistake: but with all 

 this, I shall be surprised if any body acquainted with the sub- 

 ject should affirm that it has done no good ; or that, guided by 

 anatomy, mechanics, and chemistry, we have not explained many 

 of the actions of the animal body, so as to throw light upon the 

 nature of its diseases. I believe nobody will affirm this ; and, 

 therefore, the question turns entirely upon the extent we shall 

 give to the application of philosophy. Upon this subject I 

 shall quarrel with nobody. I shall allow any body to urge the 

 fallacy to which the application of philosophy is in general liable. 

 I shall allow them to examine any particular application of it 

 with the utmost rigour, and particularly to show the utmost 

 diffidence and jealousy with regard to every general system up- 

 on this plan. In all such cases I shall join them with the ut- 

 most*zeal. I wish to carry an empirical plan as far as it will 

 go. I only plead, that a dogmatic plan can make useful addi- 

 tions to it ; and if this is allowed it is enough to my purpose. 

 For if it is allowed to be useful in any degree, I can maintain that 

 it must be studied in its whole extent. There is, in animal bodies, 

 such a connexion of parts, that every action is, with regard to 

 some other, both a cause and an effect, and the wHole turns, in 

 this respect, as in a circle ; so that there is no understanding 

 one part without studying in some measure the whole. There 

 is nothing more evident than that hitherto the defects and errors 

 of our theory have been owing to the animal system being stu- 

 died too much by parts, whereby some of the powers concur- 

 ring, and their effects, have been overlooked and neglected. It 

 is true, indeed, that great difficulties arise from our being oblig- 

 ed to view every part as a part of a whole ; and from this too, 

 some difficulties are likely long to remain ; but whatever may 

 be the effect of more comprehensive views, they are the surest 

 means of discovering error and preventing the improper appli- 

 cation of theory. 



