£73 ON THE NUTRITION OF 



XVIII. — On the Nutrition of Cuticle, Nails, 

 Hair, Feathers and Plants. 



By H. Dewar, M. D. F. R. S. E. & M. W. S. 



Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 

 Honorary Member of the Historical Society of New- 

 York, and Lecturer on Medicine and Chemistry . 



(Read 26tk February 1820 J 



The object of the present Essay is, to bring to- 

 gether a few physical considerations which may as- 

 sist us in forming rational conceptions of the mode 

 of nutrition of some descriptions of animal organs 

 which physiologists have in this respect either ne- 

 glected or misunderstood. 



The group of phenomena implied in assimila- 

 tion presents two aspects, which vie with one an- 

 other in their claims on our admiration. The one 

 aspect consists in the great variety and extent of 



