PREFACE 



IN the preparation of courses of lectures dealing with various physiological 

 processes I have found considerable difficulty, and spent much time, in the 

 extraction from books and original papers, many of them not biological, of * 

 material of fundamental importance in the proper treatment of the subject. 

 The mechanism of reactions in heterogeneous systems may be mentioned. 

 It seemed to me, therefore, that the results of this labour might be of use to 

 others, whose work does not allow them sufficient time to read articles 

 which do not appear to bear upon their particular domain of science. In 

 arranging these facts, however, it became manifest that a somewhat wider 

 treatment would be of more value, so that the book might be of service to 

 all desiring a general, elementary, treatment of what may be called " abstract " 

 physiology, as distinct from the "applied" physiology required by the 

 agricultural, medical, or veterinary student for the purpose of his profession. 

 In extenuation of my conduct in producing a work on physiology for the 

 use, as I venture to hope, of all those who have any interest in science, I 

 should like to quote a few words by Huxley to be found in his address, 

 " On the Educational Value of the Natural History Sciences " (Huxley, 

 1902-1903, p. 59 see Bibliography). He gives an answer to the question, 

 " What is the range and position of . Physiological Science as a branch of 

 knowledge, and what is its value as a means of mental discipline ? " as 

 follows: "Its subject-matter is a large moiety of the universe its position 

 is midway between the physico - chemical and the social sciences. Its 

 value as a branch of discipline is partly that which it has in common 

 with all sciences the training and strengthening of common sense ; partly 

 that which is more peculiar to itself the great exercise which it affords 

 to the faculties of observation and comparison ; and, I may add, the exactness 

 of knowledge which it requires on the part of those among its votaries who 

 desire to extend its boundaries." One would like to add also, the great 

 experimental skill demanded, owing to the complexity of the phenomena 

 studied. 



The name of "general" physiology, which I have chosen as my title, 

 corresponds very closely with what my honoured teacher, Burdon-Sanderson, 

 used to speak of as " elementary " physiology, defining it as " the study of 

 the endowments of living material," from which he expected the greatest 

 advances of the future to proceed (Burdon-Sanderson, 1911, p. 217). This 

 is practically the same view as that taken by the great Claude Bernard, who 

 was professor of "physiologic generale" in the University of Paris from 

 the foundation of the chair in 1854 until he died in 1878 (see Bernard, 

 1866, p. 8). In the lectures which he gave he insisted on the fact that 



vii 



