106 INTRODUCTION. 



many highly important genera of this class, the study of which, 

 is of no doubtful use, as may appear that of the vices of con- 

 formation. 



We must add to these two classes, that of intestinal worms 

 sufficiently numerous, and that of the parasitic animals which 

 may exist in man. 



OF DEATH AND THE CADAVER.* 



122. Deatht is the final and total cessation of the functions 

 of life, soon followed by the dissolution of the body. It is the 

 necessary and inevitable result of the successive changes of the 

 organism. It is seldom, however, the last term of life arrived 

 to extreme old age; most generally it is occasioned by acci- 

 dental causes. 



Life consists, essentially, in the reciprocal action of the cir- 

 culation of the blood, and of inner vation, death always results 

 from the cessation of this action. Senile death, appears to re- 

 sult from the simultaneous weakening of these two functions, 

 and the simultaneous alteration of their organs, and morbid or 

 accidental death from the primitive alteration of one of the 

 two organs, and of its function. It is always, in fact, by the 

 interruption of the nervous action upon the organs of the cir- 

 culation, or by the cessation of the action of the blood on the 

 nervous centre, that death is determined by accident or disease. 

 But the blood may cease to'act upon the nervous system, so as 

 to continue life; either because the heart no longer sends it 

 there, and that the vessels cease to conduct it effectually; or 

 because the blood is no longer submitted to respiration; or be- 

 cause it is not purified by the secretions from noxious princi- 

 ples, by the urinary depuration in particular; or because the 

 intestinal digestion and absorption do not furnish it with nu- 

 tritious materials; or, finally, because deleterious substances 

 are car/ied into the mass of this fluid from without. 



123. The cadavert is a dead, organized body; but this 



* We prefer this word, although not English, to any paraphrase. The 

 cadaver, is the body after the extinction of life. TRANS. 



f See Chaussier. Table des phenomtnes cadaveriques. 



