A compendious system of anatomy : in six parts ... ; illustrated with twelve large copperplates.

  • Fyfe, Andrew, 1754-1824.
Date:
April MDCCXC [1790]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A compendious system of anatomy : in six parts ... ; illustrated with twelve large copperplates. 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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    ticul re made by injections, they have been perfuaded that the lymphatic veilels did not arife from cavities, and did not abforb, but were merely cqn- timutions from fmall arteries. The doctrine, there- . that the lymphatics, like the lacteals, were ab- forbents, ashad been fuggefted by Gliffon and by Hoff- man, has been revived by Dr Hunter and Dr Monro, have controverted the experiments of their prede- ceflbrs in anatomy, ancLhave endeavoured to prove that the lymphatic veffels are not continued from arteries, bat are abforbents. To this doctrine, however, feveral objections have been darted, particularly by Haller (Elm. Phyf. 1. 24. X 2, 3.); and it has been found, that before the doc- trine of the lymphatics being a fyftern of abforbents can be eftabliihed, it muft firft be determined whether this fyftern is to be found in other animals befides man and quadrupeds. Mr Hewfon claims the merit of hav- ing proved the affirmative of this queftion, by difcover- ing the lymphatic fyftern in birds, filh, and amphibi- ous animals. See Fhil. Tranf. vol. lviii. and lxix.— And latterly, Mr Cruikfkank lias traced the ramifica- tions of that fyftern in almoft every pan of the body; and from his directions, figures have been made and lately publilhed to the world. To Mr Sheldon alfo we are much indebted for his illuftration of this fyftern, which promifes to give great fatisfaction, but of which only a part hasyct been publilhed. The gravid uterus is a fubject likewife which has re- ceived confiderable improvements, particularly relat- ing to one very important difcovery; viz. that the internal membrane of the uterus, which Dr Hunter has named d-:cidua, constitutes the exterior part of the fecundines or after-birth, and feparates from the reft of the uterus every time that a woman either bears a child or fuffers a mifcarriage. This difcovery includes ano- ther, to wit, that the placenta is partly made up of an excrefcence or efflorefcence from the uterus itfelf. Thefe difcoveries are of the utmoft confequence, both in the phyfiological queftion about the connection between the mother and child, and likewife in explain- ing the phenomena of births and abortions, as well as in regulating obftetrical practice. The anatomifts of this century have improved ana- tomy, and have made the ftudy of it much more eafy, by giving us more correct as well as more numerous fi- gures. It is amazing to think of what has been done in that time. We have had four large folio books of fi- gures of the bones, viz. Chefelden's, Albinus's, Sue's and Trew's. Of the mufcles, we have had two large folios; one from Cowper, which is elegant; and one from Albinus, which, from the accuracy and labour of the work, we may fuppofe will never be outdone. Of the blood-veffels we have a large folio fromDr Haller. We have had one upon the nerves from Dr. Meckel, and another by Dr Monro junior. We have had Al- binus's, Roederer's, Jenty's, and Hunter's works upon the pregnant uterus; Weitbrecht and Leber on the joints and frefh bones ; Soemerring on the brain ; Zinon the eye; Cotunnius, Mekel junior, &c. on the ear ; Walterus on the nerves of the thorax and abdo- men ; Dr Monro on the burfae mucofas, &c. It would be endlefs to mention the anatomical figures that have been publilhed in this century, of particular and imailer parts of the body, by Morgagni, Ruyfch, Yal- falva, San&orini, Hciftcr, Vater, Cant, Zimmerman, Walterus, and others. Thole elegant plates of the brain, however, juft publilhed by M. Vicq. d'Azyr, muft not pafs without notice, efpecially as they form part of an univerfal fyf- tern of anatomy and phyfiology, both human and com- parative, propofed to be executed in the fame fplendid ftyle. Upon the brain alone 19 folio plates are em- ployed ; of which feveral are coloured. The figures are delineated with accuracy and clearnefs; but tbe co- louring is rather beautiful than correct. Such parts of this work as may be publilhed, cannot fail to be equal- ly acceptable to the anatomift and the philofopher ; but the entire defign is apparently too extenfive to be ac- complilhed within the period of a fingle life. In Great Britain, alfo, a very great anatomical work is carrying on by Andrew Bell, F. S. A. S. engraver to his Roy- al Highnefs the Prince of Wales, with the appro- bation of Dr Monro, and under the inflection of his very ingenious affiftant Mr Fyfe. It is to compofe a complete illuftration, both general and particular, of the human body, by a feledion from the belt plates of all the greatefl anatomifts, as well foreign as Britilh, exhibiting the lateft difcoveries in the feience, and accompanied with copious explanations. The whole number of plates mentioned in the Pro- fpectus is 240, of which 152 are already done; all in royal folio. To the foreign treatifes already mentioned maybe added thofe recently publifhed by Sabbatier and Plenck on anatomy in general. In Great-Britain, the writ- ings' of Keil, Douglas, Chefelden, the firft Monro, Winflow, &c. are too well known to need defcription. The laft of thefe ufed to be recommended as a ltandard for the ftudents of anatomy: but it has of late given place to a more accurate and comprehenlive fyftern, in three volumes, publilhed by Mr Elliot of Edin- burgh, upon a plan approved of by Dr Monro, and executed by Mr Fyfe. Dr Simmons of London has al- fo obliged the world with an excellent fyftern of ana- tomy; and another work, under the title of Ele- ments of Anatomy and the Animal Oeconomy: m which the fubjects are treated with uncommon elegance and perfpicuity. In the latter part of the laft century, anatomy made two great fteps, by the invention of injections, and the method of making what we commonly call preparations. Thefe two modern arts have really been of infinite nfe to anatomy; and befides have introduced an elegance into our adminiftrations, which in former times could not have been fuppofed to be poffible. They arofe in Holland under Swammerdam and Ruyfch, and after- wards in England under Cowper, St. Andre, and 0- thers, where they have been greatly improved. The anatomifts of former ages had no other know- ledge of the blood-veflels, than what they were able to collect from laborious difTections, and from examin- ing the fmaller branches of them, upon fome lucky oc- calion, when they were found more than commonly load- ed with red blood. But filling the vafcular fyftern with a bright coloured wax, enables us to trace the large veifcls with great eafe, renders the fmaller much more confpicuons, and makes thoufands of the very minute ones