VETKRINARY AFFAIRS. 
4od 
ml tted, and lengthened tortures inflicted, which found not a pa¬ 
rallel in the cells of the inquisition; nay, some had even made it 
a matter of boast, that they had destroyed so many hundreds of 
living beings in the pursuit of their object. 
When he first came to the University the physiological chair 
was filled by a gentleman wdth wdiose discoveries in physiology 
none can compete, in originality, practical importance, and cer¬ 
tainty. Ilow' did he arrive at this certainty ?—by cautious induc¬ 
tion, by a few' experiments, and these as few as might be, and 
as merciful as the object would by possibility admit: and when 
future ages spoke of Charles Bell as the first physiologist of his 
day, they would not forget to add, as still higher praise, that in 
the pursuit of science he forgot not the dictates of humanity. 
And, after all, he asked, wdiat dependance is to be placed on 
the result of experiments conducted by savages rather than men ? 
Can any function be properly discharged under extremity of tor¬ 
ture? Will nature work composedly, and in her usual manner, 
w'hen she is outraged to a degree disgraceful to civilized society? 
Certainly not: and if w'e find that the slightest change in 
temperature, food, or situation, and especially that the slightest 
derano'ement and disease, will modify, change, subvert the 
function of every part, little dependance can be placed on the 
result of such experiments. 
The human physiologist would, by and by, derive more extensive 
and surer aid from one w'ho, having to attend on patients that 
could not speak, and on patients of very ditferent species and 
conformation, w'as necessarily in the habit of close attention to 
the influence of every external and internal cause on the dis¬ 
charge of function ; and w ho had at length acquired a kind of in¬ 
tuitive conception of all their bearings—this being his only, as 
well as his secure guide; w'hose observation had also extended over 
a w'ide field—the omnivorous hog, the carnivorous dog, the 
simply herbivorous rodentia, the horse wdth his double stomach, 
and the ruminant with his still more complicated digestive ap¬ 
paratus : who had been taught by observation and experience the 
different effect of the same agent on each of these, influenced by 
different organization, different function, and different destiny. 
This is the man who w’ill, by and by, prove the most useful ally 
of the pathologist, and of the physiologist tco. 
After apologizing for the length of his address, for which the 
first appearance of himself and his class in such circumstances 
as the present might possibly be received as a partial excuse, he 
proceeded to say, .that during the first half session his class had 
consisted of ten pupils, but during the second session it bad in¬ 
creased to tw'enty: and that during the w hole of the session he 
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