Outline of a natural system of medical science : Forming the preliminary…
QR code
Outline of a natural system of medical science by Alexander Walker is a scientific publication of medical lectures written in the early 19th century. It proposes a unified framework for anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the materia medica, and advocates more precise surgical practice. The likely topic is how to organize medical science around a few fundamental functions and their relations, so that diagnosis, treatment, and operative technique follow from a single, “natural”
arrangement. The work divides organs and functions into three linked sets—mechanical (support, connection, locomotion), vital (absorption, circulation, secretion), and intellectual (sensation, mental operation, volition)—and uses this scheme to structure teaching and to explain life and mind as outcomes of organization and motion. It extends the same triad to disease, classifying illnesses by the first function deranged and by whether that function is diminished, irregular, or increased, then aligns remedies to those categories; along the way it critiques prevailing systems (notably Cullen and Brown) for partial views. Walker leans on comparative anatomy to test physiological claims and sketches broad applications to philosophy and the arts. In surgery he introduces a fundamental principle: use fixed external landmarks and proportional measurements to locate internal structures with precision, illustrated by taking up the subclavian artery, to replace vague and hazardous cutting. The book closes with polemical asides against critics and a call for systematic, demonstrable methods in medical teaching and practice. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Walker, Alexander, 1779-1852 |
|---|---|
| Title | Outline of a natural system of medical science : Forming the preliminary lectures to two courses: one on anatomy and physiology; the other on pathology and the practice of medicine |
| Original Publication | Edinburgh: R. Phillips, 1808. |
| Credits | Jamie Brydone-Jack and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | R: Medicine |
| Subject | Medicine |
| Subject | Physiology |
| Subject | Pathology |
| Subject | Anatomy |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 78678 |
| Release Date | May 13, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 1451 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!