TRANSITION FROM HEALTH TO DISEASK 



An Animal Body is the union of several complex organs, 

 into one entire whole, or system ; each organ executes a 

 correspondent function, and all of them concur in accom- 

 plishing the preservation of life ; the continuation of the 

 species ; and the maintenance of their living relations with 

 the surrounding world. All our knowledge amounts to on 

 the subject of life, is, that it consists in the exercise of cer- 

 tain organic functions, the end of which is to repair the 

 waste necessarily incurred by their own action. 



The Organic Functions consist in assimilation and 

 excretion ; the Animal Functions proceed from the 

 faculties of sensation and locomotion. My business at pre- 

 sent is more immediately with the former. It is an estab- 

 lished fact in physiology, that every part of the animal body 

 is constantly decaying, and requiring renovation — a process 

 that will end but with death. The aliment consumed by 

 the animal is designed to form the renovating material. 

 The food taken into the stomach therein undergoes change ; 

 subsequently passing into the intestines, to suffer a further 

 change, and become finally converted into a pulpy mass, 

 wherein is distinguishable a milky product called chyle, 

 which, in comparison with other matters, is scarce and 

 inconsiderable. The chyle is conveyed by numerous small 

 vessels, named absorbents, into the veins to mix with the 

 blood. The residue of the ingesta passing on through the 

 bowels, becomes feculent, and is expelled. Thus is carried 

 on and completed the process of digestion, the finishing part 

 of the work of assimilation is effected through the operations 

 of circulation and resjnration: 



The blood being continually fed, would soon fill its vessels 

 to repletion, were there not gates or excretories to carry off 

 its redundant or useless parts. The diminution of the 

 quantity of blood is also effected by consumption, or the use 



