146 galen's hymn. 



defence of anatomy as a science that had afforded the 

 most numerous and the most satisfactory arguments in 

 natural theology; "that knowledge or rudiment of 

 knowledge, concerning God, which may be obtained 

 by contemplation of his creatures." The anatomist, 

 " lingering amid the harmonies of law and symmetry, 

 constancy and development," as Goodsir said, "takes 

 his part freely in the religious hymn in honour of the 

 Creator, to which Galen so gladly lent his voice, and in 

 which the best physiologists of succeeding times have 

 ever joined." That among anatomists there would be 

 differences of opinion he admitted freely, "but that 

 anatomists, from any peculiarity of their science, 

 should be less susceptive of religious conviction, and 

 more opposed than their scientific brethren to the 

 Christian faith," appeared to Goodsir " an unfounded 

 and most hurtful prejudice." 



Owing to the failing health of his colleague, Pro- 

 fessor Jameson, Goodsir was induced to deliver the 

 course of lectures on natural history during the sum- 

 mer session of 1853. This course, which was mainly 

 zoological, was prefaced by a series of lectures on what 

 he termed " General Zoology," the comprehensive na- 

 ture of which may be gathered from the following 

 titles : — 



1. On the psychological condition of the Brute as 

 contrasted with that of Man. 



2. On the condition of Human Thought ; or Per- 

 ception, Conception, Language, Logic, and Science. 



