larly ferviceable by impofing names on the mufcies, most of which are retained to this day. For merly they were diftinguished by numbers, which were differently applied by almost every author. (c) In 1561, Gabriel Fallopius profeftor of anatomy at Padua, published a treatife of anatoTy under the title of Obfervationes Anatomica. This was defigned as a fupplement to Vefalius; Bany of whole defcriptions he corrects, though be always mentions him in an honourable manr. Failopius made many great difcoveries, and is book is well worth the perufal of every anatomift. In 1563, BARTHOLOMEUS EUSTACHIUS, published his Opufcula. Anatomica at Venice, which Lave ever fince been justly admired for the exactefs of the defcriptions, and the difcoveries contained in them. He published afterwards fome other pieces, in which there is little of anatomy; but never publifhed the great work he had promifed, which was to be adorned with copperplates reprefenting all the parts of the human body. Thefe plates, after lying buried in an od cabinet for upwards of 150 years, were at lat difcovered and publifhed in the year 1714, by Lancif the pope's physician; who added a fhort explicatory text, because Eustachius's own wriing could not be found.

(31.) From this time the study of anatomy gradually diffused itfelf over Europe; infomuch that for the last hundred years it has been daily improving by the labour of a number of profefled anatomifts almoft in every country of Europe. We may form a judgment of the state of anatomy even in Italy, in the beginning of the 17th century, from the information of CORTESIUS. He Lad been profeffor of anatomy at Bologna, and was then profeffor of Medicine at Mallana; where, though he had a great defire to improve himtelf in the art, and to finish a treatife which he had begun on practical anatomy, in 24 years he could trice only procure an opportunity of diffecting abuman body, and then it was with difficulties and in a hurry; whereas he had expected to have Cote fo, he fays, " once every year, according to the custom in the famous academies of Italy." (32.) In the end of the 16th century, our great HARVEY, as was the cuftom of the times, went to Italy to ftudy medicine; for Italy was ftill the favourite feat of the arts: And in the beginning of the 17th century, foon after Harvey's return to England, his malter in anatomy, FABRICIUS AB AQUAPENDENTE, published an account of the valves in the veins, which he had difcovered many years before, and no doubt taught in his lectures when Harvey attended them. This difcovery evidently affected the established doctrine of all ages, that the veins carried the blood from the liver to all parts of the body for nourishment. fet Harvey to work upon the ufe of the heart and vafcular fyftems in animals; and in the course of fome years, he was fo happy as to difcover, and to prove beyond all poffibility of doubt, the CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. He taught his Lew doctrine in his lectures about the year 1616, and printed it in 1628.

(33.) This was by far the most important ftep that has been made in the knowledge of animal bodies in any age, It not only reflected light

upon what had been already found out in anatomy, but also pointed out the means of further inveftigation. And accordingly we fee, that from Harvey to the prefent time, anatomy has been fo much improved, that we may reafonably queftion, if the ancients have been further outdone by the moderns, in any other branch of knowledge. From one day to another there has been a conftant fucceffion of difcoveries, relating either to the ftructure or functions of our body; and new anatomical procelles, both of invetigation and demonstration, have been daily invented. Many parts of the body, which were not known in Harvey's time, have fince been brought to light: and of those which were known, the internal compofition and functions remained unexplained; and indeed must have remained inexplicable without the knowledge of the circulation. (34) HARVEY's doctrine at firft met with confiderable oppofition; but in the space of about 20 years it was fo generally and fo warmly embraced, that it was imagined every thing in phyfic would be explained. But time and experience have taught us, that we still are, and probably muft long continue to be, very ignorant; and that in the ftudy of the human body, and of its difeafes, there will always be an exteulive field for the exercife of fagacity.

(35) The next queition, after the difcovery and knowledge of the circulation of the blood, would naturally have been about the paflage and route of the nutritious part of the food or chyle, from the bowels to the blood veflels: And, by good fortune, in a few years after Harvey had made his difcovery, ASELLIUS, an Italian phyfician, found out the lacteals, or vellels which carry the chyle from the inteftines; and printed his account of them, with coloured prints, in the year 1627, the very year before Harvey's book came out.

(36.) For many years after thefe two publicati ons, anatomis in all parts of Europe, were daily opening living dogs, either to fee the lacteals, or to obferve the phenomena of the circulation.-In making experiments of this kind, FECQUET in France was fortunate enough to discover the thoracic duct, or common trunk of all the lacteals, which conveys the chyle into the subclavian vein. He printed his difcovery in the year 1651. And now the lacteals having been traced from the inteftines to the thoracic duct, and that duct having been traced to its termination in a blood veilel, the paffage of the chyle was completely made out.

(37) The fame practice of opening living animals furnished occafion of difcovering the lym phatic veffels. This good fortune fell first to the lot of RUDBEC, a young Swedith anatomist; and then to THOMAS BARTHOLINE, a Danish anatomift, who was the first who appeared in print upon the lymphatics. His book came out in 16532 two years after that of Pecquet. And then it appeared evident that they had been seen before by Dr HIGMORE and others, who had mistaken them for lacteals. But none of the anatomifts of thofe times could make out the origin of the lymphatics, and none of the phyfiologifts could give a fatisfactory account of their ufe.

(38.) The circulation of the blood, and the

paffage

paffage of the chyle having been satisfactorily traced out in full grown animals, the anatomifts were naturally led next to confider how these animal proceffes were carried on in the child while in the womb of the mother. Accordingly, the male and female organs, the appearances and contents of the pregnant uterus, the incubated egg, and every phenomenon which could illuffrate generation, became the favourite fubject for about 30 years with the principal anatomifts of Europe. Thus it would appear to have been in theory but Dr Hunter believes, that in fact, as Harvey's master Fabricius laid the foundation for the difcovery of the circulation of the blood, by teaching him the valves of the veins, and thereby inviting him to confider that fubject; fo Fabricius, by his lectures, and by his elegant work De Formato Fatu, et de Formotione Qui et Pulli, probably made that likewise a favourite fubject with Dr Harvey. But whether he took up the fubject of generation in confequence of his difcovery of the circulation, or was led to it by his honoured mafter Fabricius, he fpent a great deal of his time in the inquiry; and published his observations in a book De Generatione Animalium, in 1651, that is, fix years before his death.

(39) SWAMMERDAM, VAN HORN, STENO, and DE GRAAF, within a few years after, excited great attention to the fubject of generation, by their supposed discovery that the females of viviparous animals have ovaria, that is, clusters of eggs in their loins, like oviparous animals; which, when impregnated by the male, are conveyed into the uterus: fo that, according to their doctrine, a child is produced from an egg as well as a chick; with this difference, that the one is hatched within, and the other without the body of the mother. (40.) Sometime after, MALPIGHI, a great ItaJian genius, made confiderable advances upon the fubje&t of generation. He was the first who ufed magnifying glafles with addrefs in tracing the first appearances in the formation of animals. He likewife made many other obfervations and improve ments in the minutie of anatomy by his microfcopical labours, and by cultivating comparative anatomy. This distinguished anatomist gave the first public fpecimen of his abilities by printing a differtation on the lungs anno 1661; a period fo remarkable for the ftudy of nature, that it would be injuftice to pafs it without particular notice.At the fame time flourished LAURENTIUS BELLINUS at Florence, the first who introduced mathematical reafoning into phyfic. In 1662, S1MON PAULI published a treatise De albundis of bus. He had long been admired for the white fkeletons he prepared; and at last discovered his method, which was by exposing the bones to the weather during winter.

(41.) JOHANNES SWAMMERDAM of Amfterdam alfo published fome anatomical treatifes; but was moft remarkable for his art of preferving the parts of bodies entire for many years, by injecting their veffels. He alfo publifhed a treatife on refpiration; wherein he mentioned his having figures of all the parts of the body, as big as the life, cut in copper, which he defigned to publish, with a complete fyftem of anatomy. Thefe, however,

were never made public by Swammerdam; but, in 1683, GOTHOFRIDUS BIDLOO, profeffor of anatomy at Leyden, publifhed a work intitled Anatomia corporis humani, wh rein all the parts were delineated in very large plates almost as big as the life. Mr CowPER, an English furgeon, bought 300 copies of thefe figures; and in 1698, publified them with an English text, quite dif ferent from Bidloo's Latin one; to which were added letters in Bidloo's figures, and fome few figures of Mr Cowper's own. To this work Cowper's name was prefixed, without the leaft mention of Bidloo except on purpose to confute him. Bidloo immediately published a very ill-natured pamphlet, called Gulielmus Cowperus citatus coram tribunali; appealing to the Royal Society, how far Cowper ought to be punished as a plagiary of the worit kind, and endeavouring to prove him an ignorant and deceitful fellow. Cowper anfwer. ed him in his own ftyle, in a pamphlet called his Vindica; endeavouring to prove, either that Bid. loo did not underftand his own tables, or that they were none of his. It was even alledged that thole were the tables promifed by Swammerdam, and which Bidloo had got from his widow. This, however, appears to have been only an invidious furmife, there being unquestionable evidence that they were really the performance of Bidloo.

(42.) ISBRANDUS DIEMBROECK, profeffor of anatomy at Utrecht, foon after made his appearance as an anatomical author. His work contained very little original; but he was at great pains to collect from others whatever was valuable in their writings, and his fyftem was the common ftandard among anatomical students for many years.

(43.) ANTONIUS LIEWENHOECK of Delft, a bout the fame time, improved confiderably on Malpighi's ufe of microfcopes. Thefe two authors took up anatomy where others had dropt it; and, by this new art, they brought a number of amazing things to light. They discovered the red globules of the blood; they were enabled to fee the actual circulation of the blood in the tranfparent parts of living animals, and could measure the velocity of its motion; they difcovered that the arteries and veins had no intermediate cells or fpungy fubftance, as Harvey and all the preceding anatomifts had fuppofed, but communicate one with the other by a continuation of the fame tube. Liewenhoeck obtained great fame likewife for his difcovery of the animalcula in the femen. Indeed there was fcarcely a part of the body, folid or fluid, which efcaped his examination; and he almost every where found, that what appeared to the naked eye to be rude undigested matter, was in reality a beautiful and regular compofition.

(44.) Not long after this period, Nuck added to our knowledge of the abforbent system already mentioned, by his injections of the lymphatic glands; RUYSCH, by his defcription of the valves of the lymphatic veffels; and MECKEL, by his accurate account of the whole fyftem, and by tracing thofe veffels in many parts where they had not before been described.

(45.) The attention of the public has also been particularly called to this part of anatomy, by Mr HUNTER and Dr MONRO, in their controverfy concerning

concerning the difcovery of the office of the lymphatics.-When the lymphatic veffels were first leen and traced into the thoracic duct, it was natural for anatomifts to fufpect, that as the lacteals abforbed from the cavity of the inteftines, the lymphatics, which are fimilar in figure and fructure, might poffibly do the fame office with refet to other parts of the body: and accordingly, Dr GLISSON, who wrote in 1654, fuppofes thefe redels arofe from cavities, and that their ufe was to abforb; and FREDERIC HOFFMAN has very expicitly laid down the doctrine of the lymphatic vefels being a fyftem of absorbents. But anatoits in general have been of a contrary opinion; for from periments, particularly fuch as were made by injections, they have been perfuaded that the lymphatic veffels did not arife from cavities, and did not abforb, but were merely continuations from fmall arteries. The doctrine, therefure that the lymphatics, like the lacteals, were abforbents, as had been suggested by Gliflon and Hoffman, has been revived by Mr Hunter and Dr Monro, who have controverted the experiments of their predeceffors in anatomy, and have endeavoured to prove that the lympatic vellels are not continued from arteries, but are abforbents. (46) Several objections have been ftarted to this doctrine, particularly by HALLER (Elm. Phyf. 1. 24. § 2, 3.); and it has been found, that before the doctrine of the lymphatics being a fuftem of abforbents can be established, it must first be determined whether this fyftem is to be found other animals besides man and quadrupeds.M HEWSON claims the merit of having proved the affirmative of this question, by difcovering the lymphatic fyftem in birds, fish, and amphibious animals. See Phil. Tranf. vol. lvii. and Ixix. And Mr CRUIKSHANK has traced the ramifica. tions of that fyftem in almost every part of the body; and from his diffections, figures have been made and lately publifhed to the world. To Mr SHELDON alfo, we are much indebted for his illuftration of this fyftem, which promises to give great fatisfaction.

(47.) Confiderable light has also been thrown upon the fubject of the gravid uterus, particularly relating to one very important difcovery; viz. that the internal membrane of the uterus, which Dr Hunter has named decidua, conftitutes the exterior part of the fecundines or after-birth, and leparates from the reft of the uterus every time that a woman bears a child or fuffers a mifcarrage. This difcovery includes another, to wit, that the placenta is partly made up of an excrefence or efflorefcence from the uterus itfelf. Thefe difcoveries are of the utmoft confequence, both in the phyfiological question about the conection between the mother and child, and like wife in explaining the phenomena of births and abortions, as well as in regulating obftetrical

practice.

(48.) The anatomifts of the prefent century have made the study of it much more eafy, by giving us more correct as well as more numerous figures. We have had four large folio books of botes, viz. CHESELDEN'S, ALBINUS'S, SOES, 2nd TREWS. Of the mufcles, we have had two brge folios: one from Cowper, which is elegant

and one from Albinus, which, from the accuracy and labour of the work, we may fuppofe will ncver be outdone. Of the blood-velleis we have a large folio from Dr Haller. We have had one upon the nerves from Dr Meckel, and another by Dr Monro junior. We have had Albinus's, Roederer's, Jenty's, and Hunter's works upon the pregnant uterus; Weibrecht and Leber on the joint's and freth bones; Soemerring on the brain; Zinn on the eye; Cotunnius, Mekel junior, &c. on the ear; Walter on the nerves of the thorax and abdomen: Dr Monro on the bursæ mucosæ, &c. It would be endlefs to enumerate the anatomical figures that have been publifhed in this century, of particular and smaller parts of the body by Morgagni, Ruysch, Vafalva, Sanctorini, Heifter, Vater, Cant, Zimmerman, Walterus, and others.

(49.) Thofe elegant plates of the brain, however, published by M. V:co. D'AZYR, must not pafs without notice, especially as they form part of an univerfal fyftem of anatomy and phyfiology, both human and comparative, propofed to be executed in the fame fplendid ftyle. Upon the brain alone 19 folio plates are employed; of which feveral are coloured. The figures are delineated with accuracy and clearnefs; but the colouring is rather beautiful than correct. Such parts of this work as may be published, cannot fail to be quaily acceptable to the anatomist and philofopher: but the entire defign is apparently too extenfive to be accomplished within the period of a single life. In our own country, alfo, a very great anatomical work has been executed by Andrew Bell, F. S. A. S. engraver to the Prince of Wales, with the approbation of Dr MONRO, and under the infpection of his ingenious affiftant Mr. FYFE. It contains a complete illuftration, both general and particular, of the human body, by a felection from the best plates of all the greatest anatomifts, exhibiting the latest difcoveries in the fcience, and accompanied with copious explanations. The whole number of plates is 240, all in royal folio.

(50) To the foreign treatises already mentioned may be added those recently published by SABBATIER and PLENCK on anatomy in general, A-. mong ourselves the writings of KEIL, DOUGLAS, Chefelden, the firft MONRO, WINSLOW, &c. are too well known to need defcription. The laft of thefe ufed to be recommended as a ftand ard for the ftudents of anatomy; but it has of late given place to a more accurate and compre.. henlive fyftem, in 3 vols. published on a plan approved of by Dr Monro, and executed by Mr Fyfe. Dr SIMMONS of London has obliged the world with an excellent fyftem of anatomy; and another work, under the title of Elements of Atomy and the Animal Econmy: in which the fubjects are treated with uncommon elegance and perfpicuity.

(51.) About the end of the 17th century, anatomy was much benefited by the invention of injection, and the method of making what are commonly, called preparations. Thefe two arts have doubtles been of infinite ufe to anatomy: and have introduced an elegance into its adminiftrations, which in former times could not have been fuppofed; offible,

They

They arofe in Holland under Swammerdam and Ruyfch, and afterwards in England under Cow. per, St André, and others, where they have been greatly improved, in the courfe of last century. (52.) The anatomifts of former ages had no other knowledge of the blood-veffels, than what they were able to collect from laborious diffections, and from examining the smaller branches of them, upon fome lucky occafion, when they were found more than commonly loaded with red blood. But filling the vascular fyftem with a bright coloured wax, enables us to trace the large veffels with great eafe, renders the fmaller much more confpicuous, and makes thoufands of the very minute ones vifible, which from their delicacy, and the tranfparency of their natural contents, are otherwife imperceptible. The modern art of corroding the fleshy parts with a menftruum, and of leaving the moulded wax entire, is fo exceedingly ufeful, and at the fame time fo ornamental, that it does great honour to the ingenious inventor, Dr NICHOLLS.

(53.) The reprefentations in wax-work of the various parts of the human body, might deferve notice in a hiftory of anatomy, if those who model these figures had not been fo careless in their imitation. Many of the wax figures are fo tawdry, with a show of unnatural colours, and fo very incorrect in the circumftances of figure, fituation, and the like, that though they ftrike a vulgar eye with admiration, they must appear ridiculous to an anatomist. But thofe figures which are caft in wax, plafter, or lead, from the real fubject, and which of late years have been frequently made here, are, of course, very correct in all the principal parts, and may be confidered as no infignificant acquifition to modern anatomy. The proper, or principal ufe of this art is, to preferve a perfect likeness of such subjects as we feldom can meet with, or cannot well preserve in a natural state; e. g. fubjects in pregnancy, &c.

(54.) The improved methods of preferving animal bodies, or parts of them, has been of the greateft fervice to anatomy; especially in faving the time and labour of the anatomift in the nicer diffections of the fmall parts of the body. For now, whatever he has prepared with care, he can preferve; and the object is ready to be feen at any time. And in the fame manner he can preferve anatomical curiofities, or rarities of every kind; fuch as, parts that are uncommonly formed; parts that are diseased; the parts of the pregnant uterus and its contents, &c. Large collections of fuch curiofities, which modern anatomits are striving almost everywhere to procure, are of infinite fervice to the art, especially in the hands of teachers. They give ftudents clear ideas about many things which it is very effential to know, and which yet it is impoffible that a teacher fhould be able to fhow otherwife, were he ever fo well supplied with fresh subjects.

SECT. III. GENERAL VIEW of the SUBJECT. (55.) ANATOMY, confidered merely as a branch of philofophy, feldom fails to attract the curiofity people of tafle. The advice of the Grecian fage, Know thyself, will doubtlefs apply to the owledge of our corporeal frame, as well as to that

of our intellectual. And if it is pleafing to be acquainted with the general structure of the body, it is certainly more fo to discover all those springs which give life and motion to the machine, and to obferve the admirable mechanifm by which fo many different functions are executed. Aftronomy and anatomy, as Dr Hunter and Fontenelle have remarked, are ftudies which present us with the moft striking view of the two greatest attributes of the Supreme Being. The first fills the mind with the idea of his immenfity, in the magnitude, diftances, and number of the heavenly bodies; the laft, aftonishes with his wifdom, in the variety, delicacy, and minutenefs of animal mechanism.

(56.) The human body has been stiled a microcofm, or little world; as if it did not differ fo much from the univerfal fyftem of nature in the fymmetry and number of its parts as in their size. Galen's excellent treatife De ufu partium, was compofed as a profe hymn to the Creator; and abounds with as irrefiftible proofs of a fupreme Caufe and governing Providence, as we find in modern phyfico-theology. And Cicero dwells more on the ftructure and economy of animals than on all the productions of nature befides, when he proves the existence of the gods from the order and beauty of the universe. It would be endless to quote the many animated paffages on this fubject which are to be found in the works of thofe phyficians, philofophers, and theologifts, who have confidered the ftructure and functions of animals with a view towards the Creator. It is a view which muft ftrike one with a moft awful conviction. Who can know and confider the thousand evident proofs of the aftonishing art of the Creator, in forming and fuftaining an animal body fuch as ours, without feeling the moft pleafant enthufiafm? Can we seriously reflect upon this awful fubject, without being almoft loft in adoration? without longing for another life after this, in which we may be gratified with the highest enjoyment, which our faculties and nature feem capable of, feeing and comprehending the whole plan of the Creator, in forming the univerfe, and in directing all its operations?

On

(57.) Yet obvious as thefe reflections appear to be, they are far from ftriking all anatomifts, with equal force. It is faid, that the great Galen owed his converfion from infidelity, or rather from atheism, to fuch ferious reflections arifing in his mind from viewing a human skeleton. the other hand, fome modern practitioners pretend to draw the very contrary inference; and becaufe in their diflections of the human brain, they can difcover nothing but matter, prefume to draw the abfurd inference, not only that matter, of itfelf, in a certain ftate of organization, is capable of thinking, without fpirit, but also the impious conclufion, that nothing elfe exifts in the univerfe! Similar falfe reafonings and abfurd conclufions of medical practitioners in fome former age, feem to have given rife to the illiberal adage, Ubi tres medici, tbi duo athei;-a proverb, which a numerous lift of refpectable nanies, in our own age and country is fallicient to refute.

(58.) The more immediate purposes of anatomy, however, concern thefe who are to be the guardians,

bout to be placed in a corporeal fabric, he comímences an inquiry what will be neceflary for her accommodation. "First, then," fays he "the mind, the thinking immaterial agent, muft be provided with a place of immediate refidence, which shall have all the requifites for the unio: of fpirit and body; accordingly the is provided with the brain, where the dwells as governor and fuperintendant of the whole fabric. the next place, as the is to hold a correspondence with all the material beings around her, the must be fupplied with organs fitted to receive the different kinds of impreflions which they will make. In fact, therefore, we fee that she is provided with the organs of fenfe, as we call them : the eye is adapted to light; the ear to found; the nofe to fmell; the mouth to tafte; and the skin to touch.

guardians of health, as this ftudy is necessary to lay a foundation for all the branches of medicine. --The more we know of our fabric, the more reason we have to believe, that if our fenfes were more acute, and our judgment more enlarged, we fhould be able to trace may springs of life, which are now hidden from us: by the fame fagacity we Gould difcover the true cause and nature of difefes; and thereby be enabled to reftore the health of many, who are now, from our more confined knowledge, faid to labour under incurable diforders. By fuch an intimate acquaintance with the economy of our bodies, we thould difcover even the feeds of diseases, and deftroy them before they had taken root in the conftitution. (59.) That anatomy is the very batis of furgery ever body allows. It is diffection alone that can teach us, where we may cut the living body with freedom and dispatch; and where we may venture with great circumfpection and delicacy; and where we muft not, upon any account, attempt it. This informs the brad, gives dexterity to the band, and familiarizes the beart with a fort of inhumanity, to the use of cutting inftruments upon our fellow creatures. Befides the knowledge of ver body, through all the variety of its fructure and operations in a found state, it is by anatomy only that we can arrive at the knowledge of the true nature of most of the diseases which afflict bumanity. The symptoms of many diforders are often equivocal; and diseases themselves are thence frequently mistaken, even by fenfible, experienced, and attentive phyficians. But by anatomical examination after death, we can with certainty find out the mistake, and learn to avoid it in any fimilar cafe.

(60.) This ufe of anatomy has been fo generally adopted by the moderns, that the cafes already published are almoft innumerable: MANGETUs, MORGAGNI, and many of the beft modern writings in phyfic are full of them. And if we look among the phyficians of the best character, and obterve thofe who have the art itself, rather than the craft of the profeflion at heart; we fhall find them conftantly requesting leave to examine, after death, the bodies of fuch patients as have died of any extraordinary or unaccountable difeafe. And certainly in all fuch cafes, thofe furviving relations, who would refufe a physician this privilege, would fhow a great want of public fpirit and philanthro

(61.) Having thus confidered the rife and progrets of anatomy; the various difcoveries that have been made in it, from time to time; the great number of diligent obfervers who have appied themselves to this art; and the importance of the study, not only for the prevention and cure of difeafes, but in furnishing the livelieft proofs of divine wisdom; the following questions feem naturally to arife: For what purpofe is there fuch a variety of parts in the human body? Why fuch a complication of nice and fender machinery? Why was there not rather a more simple, lefs delicate, and lefs expenfive frame?

(61) The late ingenious Mr Hunter has anfwered all fuch questions, in a very fatisfactory manner, in his introductory lecture on anatomy; wherein after fuppofing that an immaterial spirit is a VOL. IL PART I.

(63.) "Farther: She must be furnished with ora gans of communication between herself in the brain and thofe organs of fenfe, to give her infor mation of all the impreflions that are made upon them: and the muft have organs between herfelf in the brain and every other part of the body, fitted to convey her commands and influence over the whole. For thefe purpofes the nerves ard actually given. They are chords, which rife from the brain, the immediate refidence of the mind. and difperfe themfelves in branches through all parts of the body. They convey all the different kinds of fenfations to the mind, in the brain; and likewife carry out from thence all her commands or influence to the other parts of the body. They are intended to be occafional moniters against all fuch impreffions as might endanger the well-being of the whole, or of any particular part; which vindicates the Creator of all things, in having ace tually fubjected us to thofe many difagreeable and painful fenfations, which we are expofed to front a thoufand accidents in life. Moreover, the mind, in this corporeal system, must be endued with the power of moving from place to place, that the may have intercourfe with a variety of objects; that the may fly from fuch as are difagreeable, dangerous, or hurtful, and purfue fuch as are pleasant or useful to her. And accordingly fe is furnished with limbs, and with mufcles and tendons, the inftruments of motion, which are foundin every part of the fabric where motion is necellary.

(64.)" But to fupport, to give firmnefs and fhape in the fabric to keep the fofter parts in their proper places; to give fixed points for, and the proper direction to its motions, as well as to protect fome of the more important and tender organs from external injuries; there must be fome firm prop-work interwoven through the whole, And in fact, for fuch purpofes the bones are gi ven. The prop-work must not be made into che rigid fabric, for that would prevent motion.— Therefore there are a number of bones. pieces muft all be firmly bound together, to prevent their dislocation. And this end is perfectly well anfwered by the ligaments. The extremi ties of thefe bony pieces, where they move and rub upon one another, muft have fmooth and flippery farfaces for eaty motion. This is moft happily provided for, by the cartilages and mu cus of the joints. The interftices of all thefe parts

Thefe

muit