46 
REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
that were derived from external Nature. With the revival of letters the same 
spirit manifested itself in Europe, and it was not till the time of Bacon that the 
pernicious tendencies of such views were exposed. At first the minds of men 
were more forcibly directed to those objects in Nature which yielded most readily 
to their interrogatories, and under this influence physical science made rapid 
strides. Unorganised matter was easily subjected to the calculation of the 
natural philosopher and the crucible of the chemist; but matter endowed with 
the properties of life required closer research, and rewarded its investigators with 
much less brilliant and less practically-useful results. On this account the 
secrets of organisation were seldom pried into, and the naturalist was content to 
study the mere physical properties which its external forms presented. Objects 
were collected and described without number, but little or no attempt was made 
to investigate the laws that determined their existence and relations. This state 
is, however, passing away, a change has come over the spirit of the times, and the 
researches of the naturalist are evidently directed to deeper sources of knowledge 
than the mere external conformation of plants and animals can afford. This 
spirit has manifested itself in the writings and labours of such men as Lindley 
and Grant, and we are glad to see it exhibiting itself in those who have been 
taught from their chairs, amongst whom we recognise the author of the volume 
now lying before us. 
The production of this volume has depended on the increased attention which 
is paid to the study of the laws of life, and although many works of great 
excellence have been lately produced, there still was wanted, in the words of 
Mr. Carpenter, “ a treatise^ which should give a comprehensive view of the 
science, embracing whatever general principles may be regarded as firmly 
established, and illustrating them as fully as could be done within moderate 
limits, yet without distracting the attention by profuseness of detail.” We are 
bestowing no small praise when we say, that in this we think Mr. Carpenter 
has succeeded.. We have seldom seen a volume, embracing so wide a field, that 
has been so free from the faults of profuseness of detail and meagerness of 
illustration. The work consists of an Introduction, comprehending a general 
survey of organised structures, and of two books, the one on General Physiology, 
and the other on Special and Comparative Physiology. 
The Introduction commences with some excellent remarks on the study of 
Anatomy and Physiology, exhibiting the difficulties it presents, and the only 
mode of contending with them :—“ The obstacles that present themselves to the 
prosecution of these sciences, result more from that difficulty in the ascertainment 
of facts and the observation of phenomena, which is occasioned by the peculiar 
condition of living beings, than from any incapability on the part of these facts 
and phenomena to be comprehended within laws as stable and as definite as those 
