ADVERTISEMENT BY THE FRENCH EDITOR.

The work of Bichat, which appears to the most advantage, is the one that we now reprint; his observing mind, his experimental genius and his lucid manner of exhibiting facts are particularly observable in it. This work will have for a very long time a great influence on physiologists and physicians.

The Physiological Researches on Life and Death have had more than one class of admirers. Exact minds, friends of the progress of science have praised it for the great number of accurate observations which it contains, the ingenious management of the experiments and the correctness of the deductions; but they have regretted that the author constantly placed life in opposition to physical laws, as if living beings were not bodies before they were vegetables or animals. They have seen with regret that he offered illusory explanations of inexplicable phenomena.

These grounds of legitimate criticism seem to have been the reason of the enthusiasm of another class of readers, for whom whatever is vague appears to have a great degree of attraction. The readers, of whom I have just spoken, feeling but little interest in the new facts which the Physiological Researches contain, have adopted without examination its fallacious hypotheses, and attaching to them an importance which the author never did, because they believed that they elucidated the mechanism of the most obscure vital operations, and conducted to a true theory of medicine. Should we lament this errour? Certainly not, as it has powerfully contributed to the brilliant success of Bichat’s work, and by means of some errours, much truth has been promulgated.

As the works of Bichat have now become classics and their reputation cannot be increased, it is time to place young students on their guard against the errours into which the imagination of the author led him, and which are the more to be feared, as Bichat in order to convince, has employed all the fascinations of his animated style.

The memory of Bichat cannot but gain by it; the numerous truths which he has discovered will shine with a brighter light, when freed from the light shades that envelope them.

Such is the object of the notes to the present edition, which we have endeavoured to bring up to the present state of knowledge.

[CONTENTS OF THE WORK.]

PART THE FIRST.

[CHAPTER I.]Page
Division of Life into Animal and Organic Life11
[CHAPTER II.]
General Differences of the two Lives, with regard to the outward form of their respective Organs18
[CHAPTER III.]
General Differences of the two Lives, with regard to the mode of action of their respective Organs25
[CHAPTER IV.]
General Differences of the two Lives with respect to Duration of Action40
[CHAPTER V.]
General Differences of the two Lives with respect to Habit46
[CHAPTER VI.]
General Differences of the two Lives with respect to Mental Affection54
[CHAPTER VII.]
General Differences of the two Lives with respect to Vital Power76
[CHAPTER VIII.]
Of the Origin and Development of the Animal Life132
[CHAPTER IX.]
Of the Origin and Development of the Organic Life156
[CHAPTER X.]
Of the Natural Termination of the Two Lives163

PART THE SECOND.

[CHAPTER I.]Page
General Considerations on Death173
[CHAPTER II.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Heart over that of the Brain176
[CHAPTER III.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Heart over that of the Lungs192
[CHAPTER IV.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Heart over that of all the Organs194
[CHAPTER V.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Heart, as to the production of General Death202
[CHAPTER VI.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Lungs over that of the Heart210
[CHAPTER VII.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Lungs over that of the Brain237
[CHAPTER VIII.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Lungs over that of the Organs in general252
[CHAPTER IX.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Lungs over the General Death of the Body276
[CHAPTER X.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Brain over that of the Lungs297
[CHAPTER XI.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Brain over that of the Heart305
[CHAPTER XII.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Brain over that of all the Organs318
[CHAPTER XIII.]
Of the Influence of the Death of the Brain over that of the Body in General332

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCHES

ON

LIFE AND DEATH.