418 HISTORY OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



by, the peculiar powers of life. The sciences which 

 thus consider organization and vital functions may 

 be termed organical sciences. 



When men began to speculate concerning such 

 subjects, the general mode of apprehending the 

 process in the cases of some functions, appeared to 

 be almost obvious; thus it was conceived that the 

 growth of animals arose from their frame appro- 

 priating to itself a part of the substance of the food 

 through the various passages of the body. Under 

 the influence of such general conceptions, specula- 

 tive men were naturally led to endeavour to obtain 

 more clear and definite views of the course of each 

 of such processes, and of the mode in which the 

 separate parts contributed to it. Along with the 

 observation of the living person, the more searching 

 examination which could be carried on in the dead 

 body, and the comparison of various kinds of ani- 

 mals, soon showed that this pursuit was rich in 

 knowledge and in interest. Moreover, besides the 

 interest which the mere speculative faculty gave to 

 this study, the Art of Healing added to it a great 

 practical value ; and the effects of diseases and of 

 medicines supplied new materials and new motives 

 for the reasonings of the philosopher. 



In this manner anatomy or physiology may be 

 considered as a science which began to be culti- 

 vated in the earliest periods of civilization. Like 

 most other ancient sciences, its career has been one 

 of perpetual though variable progress ; and as in 



