380 The American Naturalist. : ‘[May, 
THE SCOPE OF MODERN PHYSIOLOGY! 
By Freperic 8. Ler. 
A review of the present aspect and tendency of a rapidly 
growing science in the light of its history may not be without 
profit. It may help to clearer vision and more exact orienta- 
tion; and it may direct and stimulate investigators. These 
thoughts, together with the prevalence of an apparent mis- 
conception regarding the true aim and scope of Physiology, 
have led to the following paper. fd 
To one who is acquainted with modern biology, it will seem, 
unnecessary to repeat that physiology is the science of func- 
tion or action ; that it is to be contrasted with morphology, the 
_ science of form or structure; that these two form the grand 
divisions of the science of living things, or biology; that, just 
as there is an animal and a vegetable biology, so there 18 an, 
animal physiology and a vegetable physiology ; that, further, 
every species has its physiology; that every portion of living 
pst ney Ee nt eee 
matter, be it organism, organ, tissue, cell, or simplest group a 
molecules deserving the name protoplasm, Weismanns — 
biophor, has its physiology; that, for whatever functions of 
acts, there must be possible a science of function or action. 
All this seems self-evident and trite to the biologist. By i 
non-biologist its truth is being overlooked constantly. +? 
him, forgetting that botany and zoology exist, the term phys: 
ology means merely human physiology, a most narrow signi; 
cance and one that is productive of evil results. Undone 
the animal physiologists themselves have been responsib i, 
unintentionally and unwittingly, for this common and ra g 
cally false notion of the relatively narrow field of their ages 
In their zeal to penetrate the mysteries of that most wona 
ful and most interesting of all protoplasmic structures, 
ation 
human body, and in their desire to perfect a strong foundatio! oe 
of Sciences, : 
Read before the Section of Biology of the New York Academy 
November 20, 1893. 
Ta Pi aS wits 
