Gustave-Joseph Witkowski - Structure et fonctions du corps humain - 1877

Gustave-Joseph Witkowski. Structure and Functions of the Human Body. Paris, H. Lauwereyns, 1877, vii-568 pp.

A quarto volume (240x160 mm), half morocco, back with gilded raised bands (binding of the period). Wear and rubbing on the boards and spine, headcaps worn. Interior fresh, no foxing.

Original edition

The book first presents the general structure of the human body by describing the different anatomical systems, notably the skeleton, the muscles, the internal organs and the tissues. Witkowski explains the composition of the organs and their arrangement, stressing their coherent organization within the whole body.

The author then develops the study of the great vital functions. He addresses the circulation of the blood, breathing, digestion, as well as the role of the nervous system. Each function is explained on the basis of the organs that participate in it, highlighting their interdependence and coordination.

The work also emphasizes the link between structure and function, the central idea of nineteenth-century physiology: the form of the organs is presented as adapted to their role. Witkowski thus shows how the anatomical organization conditions the functioning of the body.