Principles of Human Physiology, with their chief applications to
Pathology, Hygiene and Forensic Medicine. By William B.
Carpenter, M. D., F. R. S., F. G. S. &c., &c. Fourth Ameri-
can Edition, with extensive additions and improvements by the
Author, with two plates and three hundred and four woodcuts.
Philadelphia, Lea & Blanchard, 1850.
Were any proof of the popularity of Dr. Carpenter’s work in
this country required, the fact of there being a call for a fourth
American, before the third English Edition was exhausted
would be sufficient. Since 1842 four large editions have been
printed, three of which have met with a rapid sale. In the pre-
sent instance, as was mentioned above, the demand for a new
issue in the United States, has anticipated the exhaustion of the
English Edition. Instead of merely reprinting the last Edition,
or entrusting the editorship to some cis-atlantic physiologist, the
American Publishers adopted the wiser plan of “making it worth
the author’s while to prepare a new edition specially for their
press.”
This acknowledgment of the “consideration” of the American
Publishers, it is hoped, will evince a sufficient desire to remunerate
English Authors for their labors, and remove at least a part of the
accusations of “ piracy,” “ theft,” “ huckstering other men’s brains,”
&c., that have been so freely lavished upon us by those who felt
themselves aggrieved in this matter.
By this arrangement the Author has been enabled to lay before
the American reader the latest views both of himself and his fel-
low laborers in this most fascinating field of inquiry; it has also
afforded him the opportunity of revising and modifying what had
already been presented to them in previous editions.
The principal changes in the present edition are under the head
of the Nervous System and in the chapter on Generation. (The
latter title substituted for that of Reproduction.) It will be seen
by reference to the first, that the Author has abandoned certain
parts of Dr. M. Hall’s doctrines, and substituted a “ far simpler and
more consistent view of the Constitution of the cerebro-spinal
centres, which maybe said to be based on the doctrines of Messrs.
Todd and Bowman, though differing from them in some important
particulars.”
In the chapter on Generation the Author has substituted the
views of Bischoff respecting the development of the ovum, for
those of Dr. Barry’s “ having satisfied himself that the latter are
no longer tenable.” To Bischoff, he awards all the credit that he
formerly gave to Barry. Those who are familiar with the pre-
vious editions will be struck with this change, and we think
favorably impressed.
In glancing through the volume, one cannot fail to be struck
with the evidences of great industry that meet him on every hand ;
nothing that has the least bearing on the subject seems to have
escaped the author; all the latest discoveries and observations are
scanned, and adopted or rejected as worthy or unworthy of credit;
and the wonder is where a man of Dr. C.’s, numerous engage-
ments can find the time to keep himself so fully “ posted up.”
It will be seen also that many of the old wood cuts have been
omitted and those of a better character substituted, whilst the first
lithographic plate has been replaced by another of “ more accurate
character and superior execution,” all greatly enhancing the value
of the work, and we rise from our hasty examination of the vol-
ume before us with the conviction that it presents the clearest and
most comprehensive view of the existing state of Physiological
Science of any work with which we are familiar.