PREFACE. 



THE plan of the following work was formed nine years ago; 

 since .which time the author's annual courses of lectures have been 

 arranged in accordance with it. Meantime several works' have 

 appeared in Germany, France, and England, upon the subjects 

 embraced in it ; but no one including its entire aim, viz : 



I. To give a connected view of the simple chemical elements, of the 



immediate principles, the simple structural elements, and the 

 proper tissues, entering into the composition cf the fluids and 

 the solids of the human body. 



II. To associate with the structural elements and the tissues, their 



function while in health, and the changes they undergo in 

 disease. 



In the prosecution of his object, the author has drawn more 

 especially upon the work of Kobin and Yerdeil in the first part; 

 that of Lehmann in the division including the fluids; and on 

 Kolliker's excellent work in the part on the tissues proper. He 

 has not hesitated, indeed, sometimes to use the language of the 

 latter, when sufficiently concise. He has not, however, embarrassed 

 the text by references to the various authorities whence materials 

 have been derived ; except in instances where views varying from 

 those of previous writers are advanced, as being, in the author's 

 judgment, the most satisfactory at the present time. 



In regard to the dimensions of the minute structural elements, 

 Kolliker has been more especially relied upon. And as this work 

 is intended especially for those who use the English language, they 

 are given in fractions of an inch, instead of a millimetre, or a Paris 

 line, as has usually been done by translators of German and French 

 works, both in England and in this country. 



