Book excerpt: Excerpt from An Introductory Lecture to the Course of Anatomy and Physiology in the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College, Philadelphia: Delivered Tuesday, November 4th, 1845 Gentlemen: such a scene as the present, brings to the mind various and conflicting thoughts. Faces which were wont to greet us on similar occasions, are absent - thus reminding us, in a voice silent but solemn, that change is a great law of our existence. Some of those familiar ones have passed from the secluded gymnasium, and entered the thronged arena of active life. They have bid adieu to the halls of their Alma Mater, and are now seeking homes in this wide extended country. They have secured their clearings in the inland sea, and have boldly set their compass for the untried ocean - and may He who holds the winds in his hands give them a prosperous voyage. There are, however, some here whom we recognize as old friends, thus connecting the present with the past. You, gentlemen, have tried us, and we rejoice that you are willing to try us again and be assured, our earnest endeavors will be to assist you on with your armour, so that you may soon join your old companions in waging war against the common enemy, Disease. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.