and future Prospects. 5479 



before entering on this let me consider some of the laws which we 

 know regulate living beings ; their growth, production, dispersion, 

 before our eyes. 



Clever men without a genius for discovery succeed occasionally in 

 giving a new aspect to Science by a dexterous change of terms. The 

 trick is stale enough, but it answers for a time, and this is all that is 

 aimed at or even hoped for. Thus Bichat's classical arrangement of 

 the animal functions into organic and animal become, with the mo- 

 dern physiologist — 1st, functions of nutrition, and, 2nd, of perpetua- 

 tion ; 3rd, functions of conservation.* The terms mean precisely the 

 same as Bichat's ; but they are different terms, at least in appearance 

 and sound ; and this suffices with most. The study of these func- 

 tions constitutes Physiology, properly so called. The determination 

 of the seat of these functions, or in other words their localization, has 

 been attempted in every way, by the anatomy of the dead and of the 

 living, by Pathology, by experiment on the living and dead. This 

 method, the experimental on the living, invented by Galen, perfected 

 by Haller, received from Bichat a scientific character, and was carried 

 to its extreme height by Magendie and his school. Tt has benefitted 

 Physiology, properly so called, a little ; but as an animal body is one, 

 has general sympathies and cords of unison, so a single pathological 

 fact has occasionally overthrown the finest and clearest of the experi- 

 mental theories. A disordered liver may give rise to mental aberra- 

 tion, or a blow on the head produce an hepatic abscess. Experi- 

 mentalism explains nothing of all this, and never will. 



The general physiology of animal beings, on the other hand, is dif- 

 ferent, and has been arranged under four heads: — 1st, the speciali- 

 zation of beings; 2nd, the formation of beings; 3rd, the diffusion of 

 beings on the surface of the globe ; 4th, the diffusion of beings in 

 time, or in the different ages of the globe ; to this may be added, 5th, 

 the extinction of beings in time, a mystery quite as inexplicable as 

 their formation. The beings referred to here are animated beings, or 

 animals, whether now existing or extinct. To view these, the fossil 

 and the living, as distinct, apart from each other, as Cuvier did, seems 

 erroneous, as well physically as metaphysically. The view implies 

 successive creations or formations, which comes to the same thing, of 

 new genera and new species, — the constant interference of a first cause. 

 So sensible was Cuvier of this violation of the principles of all philo- 

 sophy that he at times denied, in the most positive manner, that such 



* Fleuiens. 



