The philosophy of natural history / by William Smellie ; with an introduction and various additions and alterations, intended to adapt it to the present state of knowledge by John Ware, M.D.

  • Smellie, William, 1740-1795.
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The philosophy of natural history / by William Smellie ; with an introduction and various additions and alterations, intended to adapt it to the present state of knowledge by John Ware, M.D. 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.)

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    derive an easier and less precarious subsistence from their milk and flush, than from the products of the chase. Ha rears, therefore, numerous herds of these animals, and being only occupied in finding them pasturage and shelter, is com- paratively at leisure to apply himself to some of the arts of civilized life. He manufactures clothing from their skins and wool, of various degrees of delicacy and elegance. He builds himself more commodious habitations : and from the different degrees of industry and skill, with which different individuals apply themselves to these occupations, arises an inequality of conditions. Some become rich, and others comparatively poor. The rich acquire a disposition to indulge in the com- forts and luxuries of life, and this is found to be inconsistent with the wandering and unsettled life which they lead as mere shepherds. Hence they are induced to fix themselves perma- nently upon particular tracts of country, which come to be con- sidered as their property; and thus they gradually devote them- selves to the cultivation of the soil. This enables a given portion of land to support a much greater number of people, than when it was devoted to the feeding of herds ; and hence, as agriculture becomes established, the population of a coun- try regularly increases. Society also becomes settled and permanent. Every individual is able to produce more by his own labor, than is sufficient for his own support, and some therefore devote themselves to other occupations, the results of which they exchange with the laborer for his surplus. Na- tions also exchange with one another their superfluities. Thus commerce is established : and the arts and elegances of life are one by one brought to light, as the growing wealth of in- dividuals and nations creates a demand for them. II. The Quadrumana, as has been before observed, ap- proach more nearly to man, both in their internal structure and external form, than any other animal. They differ, how- ever, in the size and shape of the head, which is proportiona- bly smaller, narrower, and less elevated ; in the conforma- tion of the face, which has a flat, depressed nose, and very prominent jaws and teeth ; in the length of the fore-arm ; and in the construction of the lower extremities, which are not calculated for the erect posture, and are furnished with hands, instead of feet like those of men. Their structure fits them evidently for climbing, and their usual places of habita- tion are trees, on the fruits of which they feed. They main- tain the erect position with difficulty ; it is a constrained one, since it obliges them to straiten the joints of the hip more