Physiological Researches on Life and DeathBichat, Xavier
Science
Physiological Researches on Life and Death
Bichat, Xavier
Death (Biology); Life (Biology)
At present we shall observe, that this disparity of action in the
locomotive organs, does not consist in the difference of their
actual strength, but in that of the agility, with which these
motions are executed.--All is equal in the size, in the number of
fibres, and nerves both of the one and the other of the superior,
or inferior extremities; the difference of their vascular systems
is scarcely any thing. From hence it follows that the discordance
does not exist in nature, but that it is the effect of our social
habits, which by multiplying our movements on one side of the
body, increase their address without much adding to their power.
Such in fact are the wants of society, as to call forth a certain
number of general movements, which must be performed by all in the
same direction, in order to be understood. It is generally agreed,
that this direction shall be from left to right. The letters,
which form the writing of most nations, are in this way directed;
such circumstance occasions the necessity of our using the right
hand to form them in preference to the left, the former being as
much better adapted to this method, as the latter would be to the
contrary one; of this we may convince ourselves by experiment.
The direction of the letters from left to right, imposes on us the
necessity also of casting our eyes upon them in the same direction.
From this habit acquired in reading, arises that of examining
objects in the same manner.
The necessity of similar movements when men are drawn up in line of
battle, has induced almost all nations to handle their weapons with
their right hands; the harmony too which prevails in the dances of
even the most savage people exacts an accord in the limbs, which
they constantly preserve by making all their principal movements
with the right. We might add to these examples a great variety of
others.
The general movements agreed on by society, which, if every one
were not to execute them in the same direction, would be creative
of much confusion; these movements, I say, by the influence of
habit, oblige us for our own particular movements to use the limbs,
which they have brought into action. Hence, the members of the
right side of the body are perpetually in action either for our own
particular wants, or for those which we feel in conjunction with
others.
Now, as the habitude of acting, continually tends to the perfection
of action, we may perceive the reason, why the right side acquires
a greater facility in the performance of many motions than the
left. This increased facility is not original, but acquired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account