Essays and observations on natural history, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and geology / by John Hunter, being his posthumous papers on those subjects, arranged and revised, with notes ; to which are added the introductory lectures on the Hunterian collection of fossil remains delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 8th, 10th and 12th, 1855 / by Richard Owen.

  • Hunter, John, 1728-1793.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays and observations on natural history, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and geology / by John Hunter, being his posthumous papers on those subjects, arranged and revised, with notes ; to which are added the introductory lectures on the Hunterian collection of fossil remains delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 8th, 10th and 12th, 1855 / by Richard Owen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Therefore, to make up the loss as much as possible, it is incumbent on us to go as far back as our knowledge directs us ; to compare those [states of things] with great care and accuracy with the present; and to mark down what state things are now iu; [in order] that future ages may be able to account for what we are now ignorant of. For, by their being acquainted with what has happened within the History of Natural Things, the state that things were in prior to such in- quiries—those changes prior to the present—may be hereafter toler- ably well accounted for. To attempt to trace any natural production to its origin, or its first production, is ridiculous ; for it goes back to that period, if ever such existed, of which we can form no idea, viz. the beginning of time. But, I think, we have reason to suppose there was a period in time in which every species of natural production was the same; there then being no variety in any species ; but the variations taking place on the siu'face of the earth, such as the earth and water changing situations, which is obvious; as also the change in the poles or ecliptic, which I think is also obvious. The varieties [so produced] are but few and are still existing in what may be called the ' Natural' Animal. Also civilization has made varieties in many species, and without number, which are the 'Domesticated.' In the study of any science, the principles of which are not univer- sally known or understood, it becomes not only necessary to teach the science itself or what its principles are, but it is always necessary to say what it is not; for, from a want of a sufficient knowledge of the subject, many sciences have been blended with one another so as to unite them where they had no connexions, and thus [they have been] falsely made to appear to belong to each other: by which means it was difficult to say where one principle began and another ended, or that there was any one principle inseparable from another. The most familiar or most known is commonly used to explain the most unintelligible. Thus, for instance, Mechanics were introduced to explain the effects produced by Chemistry, and both Mechanics and Chemistry (which last was partly explained by Mechanics) have been introduced as the cause of many of the operations both of the Vegetable and Animal productions, in which they have not the least share. In the Natural History of Vegetables and Animals, therefore, it will be necessary to go back to the first or common matter of this globe, and give its general properties; then see how far these properties are introduced into the vegetable and animal operations; or rather, perhaps, how far they are of use or subservient to their actions. All matters, of whatever kind, have properties common to them all,