
This primer invites listeners into the fundamental world of physiology, beginning with the everyday wonder of why we stay warm and can move even when everything around us is frozen. The author treats the human body and that of other animals as a remarkable piece of machinery, explaining how internal heat is generated and maintained without any external wind or fire. Simple, vivid analogies compare living creatures to toys that need no winding, highlighting the relentless “self‑winding” of living tissue.
The guide emphasizes hands‑on observation, encouraging you to examine a rabbit’s carcass or a sheep’s heart to see the principles in action. By focusing on a handful of core truths—muscle contraction, circulation, and the basic exchange of gases—it builds a clear foundation while deliberately setting aside the more complex realms of the senses and nervous system for later study. Listeners will come away with a solid grasp of how life sustains itself, ready to explore deeper physiological lessons.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (202K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Chuck Greif, deaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2016-10-22
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1836–1907
A leading Victorian physiologist and teacher, he helped turn physiology into a modern laboratory science in Britain. He also played a major role in scientific institutions and public life, bringing research and education into closer contact.
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