mathematics, have acquired a relish for such studies, and become eminent proficients in them; while their fellow-students, who had no previous experience in practical calculations, lagged far behind them, and seldom entered into the spirit of such subjects. I could point to several individuals of this description, who ultimately attained the highest mathematical prizes bestowed at the colleges and academies at which they attended. SECTION XI.-Physiology. This is a department of knowledge which has never yet been introduced into any seminary, as a branch of general education. It is somewhat unaccountable, and not a little inconsistent, that, while we direct the young to look abroad over the surface of the earth and survey its mountains, rivers, seas, and continents, and guide their views to the regions of the firmament, where they may contemplate the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and thousands of luminaries placed at immeasurable distances,-that, while we direct their attention to the structure and habits of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, and insects, and even to the microscopic animalculæ in a drop of water-we should never teach them to look into themselves, to consider their own corporeal structures, the numerous parts of which they are composed, the admirable functions they perform, the wisdom and goodness displayed in their mechanism, and the lessons of practical instruction which may be derived from such contemplations. An intelligent writer in the "American Annals of Education," has justly remarked— "The person who should occupy a dwelling seventy, eighty, or a hundred years, and yet be unable to tell the number of its apartments, or the nature and properties of any of its materials, perhaps even the number of stories of which it consisted-would be thought inexcusably ignorant. Yet, with the exception of medical men, and here and there an individual belonging to the other professions, is there one person in a thousand who knows any thing about the elementary materials-the structure or even the number of apartments in the present habitation of his mind?" It is not because this study is either uninteresting or unaccompanied with mental gratification, that it is so generally neglected; for to "know ourselves," both physically and intellectually, is one of the first duties of man, and such knowledge has an extensive practical tendency, and is calculated to gratify the principle of curiosity, and to produce emotions of admiration and pleasure. "Does it afford no pleasure," says the writer I have now quoted, "to study the functions of the stomach and liver, and other organs concerned in changing a mass of beaten food, perhaps some of the coarser vegetables, into blood?-of the heart, and arteries, and veins, which convey this fluid, to the amount of three gallons, through all parts of the body once in four minutes?—of the lungs, which restore the half-spoiled blood to its wonted purity, as fast as it is sent into them, and enable it once more to pursue a healthful course through its ten thousand channels?-of the brain, and especially the nerves, which by their innumerable branches spread themselves over every soft part of the human system (and some of the harder parts) which they can possibly penetrate, in such numbers that we can nowhere insert the point of the finest needle without piercing them?-of the skin, every square inch of which contains the mouths or extremities of a million of minute vessels? Is all this, I say, uninteresting? Is there no wisdom displayed in the construction of so complicated, and yet so wonderful a machine, and endowing it with the power of retaining an average heat of 96 or 98 degrees, whether the surrounding atmosphere be heated to 100 degrees or cooled to 32, or even to a much lower point? Is there, moreover, no mental discipline involved in the study of physiology?"* The evils arising from ignorance of the corporeal functions, and of the circumstances by which they are impaired, are numer ous and much to be deplored. From ignorance of the structure and functions of the digestive organs, parents, in many instances, allow their children to eat and drink every thing they desire, and to gorge their stomachs, till diseased action of the organs connected with digestion necessarily ensues, accompanied with the other disorders which generally follow in its train. To the same cause is owing the practice of administering to infants, cordials, elixirs, laudanum, and spirituous liquors a practice in which no person will indulge who is acquainted with the laws which regulate the functions of the corporeal frame, and which has a tendency not only to injure the individual, but to perpetuate a degenerated race through successive generations. From ignorance of the nature of perspiration, and the functions of the skin, children are permitted to wallow in dirtiness and filth, to remain moist, cold, and benumbed, and to pass days and even weeks without being washed or receiving a change of linens; by which they are, sooner or later, subjected to cutaneous and inflammatory disorders. Ignorance of this subject has likewise led to those awkward at Mr. Alcott," American Annals of Education," for September, 1833,a journal which is conducted with admirable spirit by Mr. Woodbridge, and which contains a variety of valuable communications, and much important statistical information, respecting the improvements going forward in Eu rope and America, in connection with the subject of education. tempts, particularly on the part of the female sex, to remodel the the muscular part of the body. They are taken from No. 58. of the "Penny Magazine." Fig. 1. is an outline of the celebrated statue of the Venus de Medicis, which is considered as the most beautiful and symmetrical model of a fine female figure. Fig. 2. is the skeleton of a similar figure, with the bones in 1 . neir natural position. Fig. 3. is an outline of the figure of a modern fashionable lady, after it has been permanently remodelled by stays. Fig. 4. is a skeleton belonging to such a figure as No. 3. From these figures it appears that the size of the chest belonging to figures 3 and 4, is obviously much less than that of figures 1 and 2, and consequently, the parts which it embraces must be unnaturally compressed, to the injury of symmetry and beauty, as well as to the impeding of the vital functions. But it will naturally be asked, How shall we find means to communicate a knowledge of physiology in common schools? A thorough knowledge of this subject, such as a regular medical practitioner requires, cannot be communicated in such seminaries, nor would it be necessary, or even expedient, to make the attempt. Human subjects could not be dissected before the eyes of the young, nor would it be proper to accustom them to witness such operations. A general knowledge of the parts of the human frame, of their relative positions, and of the functions they perform in the animal system, is all that is requisite to be imparted; and there are several modes by which such a view of the mechanism of the human body may be exhibited. 1. It is well known that the skill of the anatomist, combined with that of the modeller, has enabled him to construct a model or representation of the human system. This model, which has been sometimes called a mannikin, or artificial man, is formed with so much skill and ingenuity as to exhibit the principal veins and arteries, the nerves, the muscles, the lungs, liver, stomach, kidneys, and most other parts, nearly as distinctly as they appear in the real human subject. Such a model, could it be procured, would answer all the purposes of general instruction. The only valid objection that could be made to its introduction would be, the expense with which it would be necessarily attended. 2. An idea of the form and position of those parts connected with the vital functions, which are contained within the thorax and abdomen, may be obtained by dissecting some of our domestic quadrupeds. Although the mechanism of these animals is somewhat different from that of man, yet the organs contained in the cavity of the breast and abdomen are essentially the same, though differing in some minute particulars-are placed nearly in the same relative positions, and perform the same or similar functions as in the human system. As hares, rabbits, and other quadrupeds are frequently slaughtered for food, and as dogs and cats sometimes require to be killed, opportunities might be taken of dissecting such animals, and showing the forms and positions of those parts which most nearly resemble those of the human subject. I recollect, when young having received my first clear ideas of the form and position of the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, &c. from the dissection of a cat, of which the anatomical figures I had in my power to inspect, could afford no accurate or satisfactory conception. 3. Dried preparations of certain parts of the human body-portions of the muscular parts, such as the heart, liver, &c. preserved in spirits-skulls, and detached portions of the skeleton-might be occasionally procured, which might serve for the illustration of particular functions. 4. Where such objects as the above cannot be procured, some general and useful ideas on this subject may be communicated by means of large coloured anatomical plates. These are found necessary to accompany every course of anatomical dissection; and, although they cannot convey the same accurate ideas which may be obtained by a direct inspection of the human subject, yet none will deny that a very considerable degree of useful information may in this way be obtained, espe cially with the assistance of a teacher who can explain, with simplicity and clearness, the several organs and functions of the animal system. Supposing a person knew nothing of the internal parts of the human body, it is evident, that, from such a figure as |