Bridgewater Treatises II: Kidd, Adaptation of External Nature

The Bridgewater Treatises
on the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God,
As Manifested in the Creation.

___________

Treatise II.

THE ADAPTATION OF EXTERNAL

NATURE TO THE PHYSICAL

CONDITION OF MAN,

PRINCIPALLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE SUPPLY OF HIS WANTS,

AND THE EXERCISE OF HIS INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES.

BY

JOHN KIDD, M.D. F.R.S.

Regius Professor of Medicine

in the University of Oxford.

LONDON

William Pickering

1833.

This electronic edition prepared by Dr. David C. Bossard
from original documents in his personal library.

408 + 32 pages.

September, 2006.

CONTENTS.

"THOU MADEST HIM TO HAVE DOMINION OVER THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; THOU HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET."

PSALM VIII.6.

DEDICATION. v.   v

PREFACE. vii.   vii

NOTICE. xi.-xii.   ix x xi

CHAP. 1. INTRODUCTION

I. The Physical Condition of Man 1 001 002 003

II. The general Constitution of external Nature 4 004 005 006 007 008

CHAP. II. THE PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF MAN

I. The Physical Character of Man, compared with that of other Animals 9   009 010 011

II. Differences in the Form of the Infant and of the Adult; particularly with reference to the Spine 12   012 013 014 015 016 017

III. Physical Superiority of Man, on what Principle to be estimated 18   018 019 020 021

IV. Early and gradual Developement of the intellectual Faculties of Man 22   022 023 024 025 026 027

CHAP. III. ON THE POWERS OF THE HUMAN HAND, CONSIDERED AS A CORPOREAL ORGAN 28

028 029 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 041 042

CHAP. IV. ON THE BRAIN, CONSIDERED AS THE ORGAN OF THE INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES 43

043 044 045 046

CHAP. V. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF ANIMALS IN GENERAL

I. The Nervous System of the inferior Animals 47   047 048 049 050 051 052

II. The Nervous System of Man 53   053 054 055 056 057 058

III. Indications of natural Talent and Disposition deducible from the Structure of the Brain 59   059 060 061 062 063 064 065 066

IV. The general Doctrine of Physiognomy, as connected with the Form of the Body 67   067 068 069 070 071 072

V. The Developernent of the Human Brain, compared with that of other Animals 73   073 074 075

VI. Cursory View of the Extent of Human Power over the Objects of the external World. 76   076 077 078 079

CHAP. VI. ADAPTATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO THE WANTS OF MAN

I. The general Constitution of the Atmosphere 80   080 081 082

II. Light 83   083 084 085 086 087 088 089 090 091 092 093 094

III. Heat 95   095 096 097 098 099 100 101 102 103 104 105 106

IV. The general Uses of Water 107   107 108 109 110 111

V. Baths 112   112 113 114 115 116 117

VI. The Fluidity of Water 118   118 119 120 121 122

VII. The natural Sources of Water 123   123 124 125

VIII. The Air of the Atmosphere, as connected with Respiration 126   126 127 128 129 130 131 132

IX. Effects of the Motion of the Air, as connected with Human Health, &e . 133   133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143

X. Effects of the Motion of the Air, as connected with the Arts, &c . 144   144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151

CHAP. VII. ADAPTATION OF MINERALS TO THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF MAN

I. The general Characters of Minerals 152   152 153

II. Application of Minerals to Architecture and Sculpture 154   154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167

III. Gems and precious Stones 168   168 169 170 171 172

IV. The Distribution and relative Proportions of Sea and Land; and the geological Arrangement and physical Character of some of the superficial Strata of the Earth 173   173 174 175

V. Beds of Gravel 176   176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186

VI. Metals 187   187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198

VII. Common salt, &c . 199   199 200 201

CHAP. VIII. ADAPTATION OF VEGETABLES TO THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF MAN.

I. General Observations on the Vegetable Kingdom 202 202 203

II. The Cocoa-nut Tree, including the Formation of Coral Reefs 204   204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215

111. Vegetables as a Source of Food 216   216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225

IV. Vegetables as applicable to Medicine 225   225 226 227 228 229 230 231

V. Vegetables as applicable to the Arts, &c . 232   232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242

CHAP. IX. ADAPTATION OF ANIMALS TO THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF MAN

I. General Observations on the Animal Kingdom 243   243 244 245 246 247

II. Geographical Distribution of Animals 248   248

III. The Camel 249   249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257

IV. Domestication of Animals 258   258 259 260 261 262 263

V. Animals as a Source of Food 264   264 265 266

VI. Manufacture of Sal Ammoniac 267   267 268 269

VII. Animals as a Source of Clothing, &c . 270   270 271 272

CHAP. X. ADAPTATION OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD TO THE EXERCISE OF THE INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES OF MAN

I. On the Rise and Progress of Human Knowledge 273   273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285

II. Opinions of Lucretius on the constitution of Matter in general; and on the Nature of Light, Heat, Water, and Air . 286   286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297

III. Opinions of the Ancients on the Organization and Classification of Animals . 298   298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333

IV. On those Animal Forms called Monsters, or Lusus Naturae 334   334 335 336 337 338

CHAP. XI. CONCLUSION 339 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346

APPENDIX 347 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375

ERRATA 375 375