Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/860

Rh 816 hia researches the first part of his commentary, with four engravings. Anxiety, however, to complete his prepara tions detained him at Florence till the close of 1785 ; and from these causes his work did not appear till 1787. These delays, however, unfavourable as they were to his claims of priority to Sheldon and Cruikshank, were on the whole advantageous to the perfection of his work, which is not only the most magnificent, but also the most complete that ever was published on the lymphatics. In his account of the vessels and their valves he confirms some of Hewsou s observations, and rectifies others. Their origin he proves by inference much in the same manner as Cruikshank; but he anticipates this author in the account of the glands, and he gives the most minute description of the superficial and deep lymphatics, both in the members and in the internal organs. General accounts of the nerves had been given with various degrees of accuracy by Willis, Vieussens, Winslow, and the first Monro ; and the subject had been much rectified and improved by the indefatigable Haller. The first example of minute descriptive neurography was given in 1748 by John Frederick Meckel, whose account of the fifth pair, and of the nerves of the face, will long remain a lasting proof of accuracy and research. The same subject was investigated in 1765 by Hirsch, and in 1777 by Wrisberg. In 17GG Metzger examined the origin, distribution, and termination of the first pair, a point which was afterwards very minutely treated by Scarpa in his anatomical disquisitions, published in 1780 ; and the internal nerves of the nostrils were examined in 1791 by Haase. The optic nerve, which had been studied originally by Varoli, and afterwards by Mery, Duverncy, llenkel, Moeller, Hein, and Kaldschmid, was examined with extreme accuracy, with the other nerves of the organ of vision, by Zinn, in his elaborate treatise. The phrenic nerves and the cesophageal branches of the eighth pair were studied by Haase ; the phrenic, the abdominal, and the pharyugeal nerves, by Wrisberg ; those of the heart most minutely by Andersch ; and the origins, formation, and distribution of the intercostal nerve, by Iwanoff, Ludwig, and Girardi. The labours of these anatomists, however, were eclipsed by the splendid works of Walter on the nerves of the chest and belly ; 1783. and those of Scarpa on the distribution of the 8th pair, 179-1. an( j splanchnic nerves in general. In minuteness of description and in beauty of engraving these works have not yet been equalled, and will never perhaps be surpassed. About the same time, Scarpa, so distinguished in every branch of anatomical research, investigated the minute structure of the ganglions and plexuses. The anatomy of the brain itself was also studied with great attention by 1780. the second Monro, Malacarne, and Vicq d Azyr. Lastly, the anatomy of the gravid uterus, which had been originally studied by Albinus, Roedercr, and Smellie, was again illustrated most completely by William Hunter, 1774. whose engravings will remain a lasting memorial of scientific zeal and artistic talent. 19th ccn- The perfection which anatomical science attained in tury. the last ten years of the eighteenth and during the pre sent century is evinced not only in the improved character of the systems published by anatomists, but in the enor mous advance which has taken place in the knowledge of the minute structure of the animal tissues, of the de velopment of the tissues and organs, and of the modifica tions in form and structure exhibited by various groups of animals. The first who gave a good modern system was Sabatier ; but his work was speedily eclipsed by the superior merits of the treatises of Sommering, Bichat, and Portal. The excellent work by Samuel Thomas Sommering, originally [lIISTOIxY. published in the German language, between the years Soran 1791 and 1796; then in the Latin language, between the in S- years 1794 and 1800; and in a second edition in the German language in 1800 and 1801, maintaining the high character which it first possessed for clear arrangement, accurate description, and general precision, was, between the years 1841 and 1844, republished in eight volumes at Leipsic by Bischoff, Henle, Huschkc, Thcile, Valentin, Vogel, and Wagner, with suitable additions, and a large amount of new and accurate information. In this edition Rudolph Wagner gives, in the first division of the first volume, the life, correspondence, and literary writings of Sommering; and in the second volume the anatomy of the bones and ligaments. The third volume contains the anatomy of the muscles and the vascular system by Theile. Valentin devotes one volume, the fourth, to the minute anatomy of the nervous system and its parts, as disclosed by careful examination by the microscope ; and it must be allowed that the author has been at great pains to present just views of the true anatomy of the brain, the spinal cord, the nervous branches, and the ganglia. In the fifth volume, Huschke of Jena gives the anatomical history of the viscera and the organs of the senses, a department which had been left in some degree incomplete in the original, but for one division of which the author had left useful materials in his large figures already mentioned. In the sixth volume, an entire and complete system of general anatomy, deduced from personal obser vation and that of other careful observers, the materials being in general new, and in all instances confirmed and rectified, is given by Prof. Henle. The seventh volume con tains the history of the process of development in mammalia and man, by Th. L. W. Bischoff. The eighth volume treats of the pathological anatomy of the human body, by Julius Vogel, but contains only the first division, relating to the generalities of the subject. This, which is probably the most accurate as it is the most elaborate system of anatomical knowledge up to the date of its publication in 1844, was translated into the French language by Jourdan, and published in 1846 under the name of Encyclopedic Anatomiqiie. The eighth volume was translated into English in the year 1847, The Anatomic Generate of Bichat is a monument of his Bicha philosophical genius which will last as long as the structure and functions of the human body are objects of interest. His Anatomie Descriptive is distinguished by clear and natural arrangement, precise and accurate description, and the general ingenuity with which the subject is treated. The physiological observations are in general correct, often novel, and always highly interesting. It is unfortunate, however, that the ingenious author was cut off prematurely during the preparation of the third volume. The later volumes are, however, pervaded with the general spirit by which the others are impressed, and are highly creditable to the learning, the judgment, and the diligence of MM. Roux and Buisson. The system of Portal is a valuable Frencl and correct digest of anatomical and pathological know- s y stci] ledge, which, in exact literary information, is worthy of auat01 the author of the Ilistoire de V Anatomie et de la Chirurgie, and, in accuracy of descriptive details, shows that M. Portal trusts not to the labours of his predecessors only. Boyer published in 1803 a complete treatise on Descriptive Anatomy. Cloquet formed, on the model of the Anatomie Descriptive of Bichat, a system in which he avails himself of the literature and precision of Sommering and the details of Portal. An English translation of this work was prepared by Dr Knox. Cruveilhier published in 1834-35 a good general treatise on Descriptive Anatomy, which was translated into English, and published as a part of The Library of Medicine. Cruveilhier s treatise