2. Life may be defined as an Electro-Vital Phenomenon, peculiar 

 to an organism, which includes the powers of absorption, assimilation, 

 secretion, execretion, and reprodndion ; and Death is the cessation of all 

 these functions, with the return of the organic tissues to their ultimate 

 elements. 



3. All the different tissues of the body are built up of minute cells, 

 varying in form according to the structure in which they are found. 

 Yet, strange to say, Chemistry shows that these cehs are made up of 

 inorganic bodies, which are not themselves alive; but from their 

 peculiar chemical affinity and vital combinations all the gases, fluids, 

 and soUds of the living body are produced. 



4. A simple Cell, whether vegetable or animal, seems to have an 

 innate power of a vital character, to multiply or reproduce, and by 

 the multiplying of these cells, where surroundings are replete with 

 every necessary, tissues and organs of different kinds are formed, and 

 when all are in a normal condition, healthy functions are carried on. 



5. By the aid of the Microscope, the cells of the various tissues 

 are revealed and recognised, and they are almost innumerable. 

 Meinert estimated the grey matter of the brain alone to contain no 

 less than 600,000,000 cells, and again each cell was divided and sub- 

 divided into molecules and atoms respectively, while between two and 

 three hundreds of trilUons of red and white corpuseles were found in 

 the blood of the adult horse. The living body is strange, and 

 wonderfully made. 



'■ It is strange that a harp of a thousand strings should keep in tune so long." 



6. A description of the minute structures of the body, i.e. Histology, 

 is not the province of this work. Yet, before we can undertake 

 the treatment of the various afflictions which domestic animals are 

 prone to, and studied under pathology, a knowledge of anatomy and 

 physiology is necessary. But this will be of a very brief and practical 

 charact^er, the object being that when describing the different ailments, 

 some little idea of the parts of the body alluded to, may have already 

 been gained. 



