Excerpt from Twelve Lectures on Comparative Physiology: Delivered Before the Lowell Institute, in Boston, January and February, 1849 The knowledge thus obtained, constitutes the science Of Anatomy. But however perfectly these investigations may be pursued; however skilfully the Anatomist may dissect, however nicely the Microscopist. May observe; however accurately the Chemist may analyze - they, in the end, give us but an imperfect idea of the objects for which an imal structures were created. Zto obtain a more perfect knowledge, they must be examined in a state Of activity, during life. For the researches of the Ana'tomist will never demonstrate to us that a seed wasintended to produce aperfect. Organized being, or that muscular fibre was intended to con tract, or that a nerve was intended to carry its pe culiar influence to and from the nervous centres. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.