OiN THE STUDY OF PHYSIOLOGY. JS 



or for subtle matters. His materia vitae is something tan- 

 gible ; he describes it as a substance like that of the brain, 

 diffused all over the body, and entering into the composi- 

 tion of every part. He conceives even the blood to have its 

 share ^. We may smile at these fancies, withoul any dis- 

 respect to a name that we all revere, without any insensi- 

 bility to the merits of a surgeon and physiologist, whose 

 genius and labours have reflected honour on our profession 

 and our country. If the father of poetry sometimes falls 

 asleep, a physiologist may be allowed to dream a little : but 

 they who are awake, need not shut their eyes, and endea- 

 vour to follow his example, need not exhibit another in- 

 stance of the perverted taste, which led the disciples of an 

 ancient philosopher to drink spinach-juice, that they might 

 look pale like their master. 



Plato made the vital principle to be an emanation of the 

 nnima mundi, or soul of the world; an explanation, no 

 doubt, quite satisfactory to those who know what the soul 

 of tlie world is, and how other souls emanate from it. 



The Brahmins of the East hold a similar notion ; but 

 they make the soul after death pass on into other bodies, or 

 into animals, according to its behaviour ; admitting, how- 

 ever, that those of the good are immediately reabsorbed 



* That the author of the Physiological Lectures should have published 

 two books, principaliy for the purpose of explaining, illustrating and con- 

 firming Mr. Hunter's " Theory of LifCi' without shewing us in either what 

 that theory was, without a single citation or reference to identify this doc- 

 trine, thus boldly baptised with the name of Hunte.i, as the literary ofl- 

 spring of its alleged parent, appears strange and suspicious. It is easily 

 explained ; for this Ilunterinn theory of life, which its real author so stoutly 

 maintains to be not only probable and rational, but also verifiable, is no 

 where to be found in the published writings of Mr. Hunter ; and does not 

 even resemble the speculations on the same subject, which occur in the pos- 

 thumous work on the Blood, Inflammation, S^c. part i. chap i. sec. 5. on the 

 living Principle of the Blood. In perusing the writings of Mr. Hunter, 

 we should always remember his unfortunate want of early education, the dif- 

 ficulty he felt in conveying his notions clearly by words, and the mutilation 

 which his thoughts must have suftcred in passing through the press, both from 

 the causes just mentioned, and from the revision and correction to which 

 :30uie of his writings were subjected. 



