Sect. II.] Physiology. 283 



Insita, as a primary, essential, and inherent quality 

 of the hving fibre, dependent on its original struc- 

 ture and organisation, and entirely independent of 

 the nerves. Not many years ago, professor Monro, 

 of Edinburgh, in his Observations on the Sh'iic- 

 ture and Functions of the Nervous System , renewed 

 the attempt, though it is conceived without suc- 

 cess, to invalidate the doctrine of Haller. 



In pursuance of this interesting doctrine, Mailer 

 contemplates the living body under a fourfold di- 

 vision, into parts, 1. Irritable; 2. Inirritablc; 3. 

 Sensible; 4. Insensible. Among irritable parts he 

 ranks the heart, the muscles generally, the dia- 

 phragm, the oesophagus, the stomach, the intestines, 

 the gall-duct, the arteries, the absorbents, and the 

 bladder. Among inirritable parts he reckons the 

 lungs, the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, and the 

 nerves. Among sensible parts he enumerates the 

 brain, the spinal marrow, the nerves, the skin, 

 the internal membranes of the stomach, intestines, 

 and bladder, the ureters, the muscular flesli, and 

 the breasts. Among insensible parts he considers 

 the dura mater, the pia mater, the periosteum, the 

 peritongeum, the pleura, the pericardium, the omen- 

 tum, the cellular texture, the cuticle, the rete mu- 

 cosum, the fat, the tendons, the capsules and liga- 

 ments of the joints, the bones, the marrow, the 

 teeth, and the gums. 



From this account, given by Haller, of the va- 

 rious parts which are united to form an animal 

 system, it results that the irritable and sensible por- 

 tions are comparatively iew and small ; that the 

 great mass of the body consists of inirritable and 

 insensible parts, which serve to combine, envelope. 



