Lecture on the necessity of the study of physiology : delivered before the American Institute of Instruction at Hartford, August 22, 1845 / by Edward Jarvis.

  • Jarvis, Edward, 1803-1884.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lecture on the necessity of the study of physiology : delivered before the American Institute of Instruction at Hartford, August 22, 1845 / by Edward Jarvis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    17/64
    The brain and the nervous system are the crea- tion of God. But how, and to what degree these shall be worked, to what purposes they shall be ap- plied, it is left to our discretion and our volition to determine. Thus we see, that in carrying on these functions of life, we are cooperators with the Creator. He has done one part towards this work, and left us to do the rest; and he has put into our hands the means and the powers to do what he has required of us. What God has done for us is well done. So far nothing is deficient, and nothing is redundant. What we do, is done well or ill according to the degree of our intelligence, of our knowledge of the organs with which, and of the material upon which they are to operate, and according to the conscientious faith- fulness, which we apply to our part of the work. Seeing then that we are co-workers with the Crea- tor in the work of sustaining life, it will be our first duty to learn what has been done, and what is left for us to do ; to know the nature, powers and wants of our bodily organs ; the purposes to which they can best be applied, and their capacity of endu- rance. We should also ascertain the nature and fit- ness of the material upon which they are to operate. Without this knowledge we may err and stumble ; we may supply our organs with improper material, or apply them to improper purposes; we may thus create weakness instead of strength, and disease in- stead of health. 2