A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



Bichat called tissues, and the pointing out that there 

 are really only a few kinds of these in the body, making 

 up all the diverse organs. Thus muscular organs form 

 one system; membranous organs another; glandular 

 organs a third ; the vascular mechanism a fourth, and 

 so on. The distinction is so obvious that it seems 

 rather difficult to conceive that it could have been 

 overlooked by the earliest anatomists ; but, in point of 

 fact, it is only obvious because now it has been famil- 

 iarly taught for almost a century. It had never been 

 given explicit expression before the time of Bichat, 

 though it is said that Bichat himself was somewhat in- 

 debted for it to his master, Desault, and to the famous 

 alienist Pinel. 



However that may be, it is certain that all subse- 

 quent anatomists have found Bichat 's classification of 

 the tissues of the utmost value in their studies of the 

 animal functions. Subsequent advances were to show 

 that the distinction between the various tissues is not 

 really so fundamental as Bichat supposed, but that 

 takes nothing from the practical value of the famous 

 classification. 



It was but a step from this scientific classification of 

 tissues to a similar classification of the diseases affect- 

 ing them, and this was one of the greatest steps tow- 

 ards placing medicine on the plane of an exact science. 

 This subject of these branches completely fascinated 

 Bichat, and he exclaimed, enthusiastically: "Take 

 away some fevers and nervous trouble, and all else be- 

 longs to the kingdom of pathological anatomy." But 

 out of this enthusiasm came great results. Bichat 

 practised as he preached, and, believing that it was 



