Abstract
A Lecture on Animal Physiology Lecturers who dealt with the more popular aspects of natural science had, in early times, to consider the moods and composition of their audiences. Although no actual censorship existed, it was not deemed desirable to invest a discourse in physiology or in botany with too full details respecting the pro cesses of function, for there was a risk of offending current established and entrenched habits of thought. The Analyst, in reporting a lecture on ‘ ‘Animal Physiology”, delivered on September 29, 1834, by George Sheward, before the Worcestershire Literary and Scientific Institution, made the following comments:” Mr. Sheward made choice of ‘Animal Physiology’ as the ground work of his lecture, and it becomes our duty to speak of it as a composition written for oral delivery. We wish it to be clearly understood that we do not entirely object to the peculiar matter chosen for the lecture. … The great difficulty however, suggested to our mind, was, how to steer clear of those technical explanations which are necessary to unfold the history of the animal economy, without trenching on the delicacy and fastidiousness of the auditors, one half of which possibly were femalesbut we are bound to say Mr. Sheward very dexterously contrived to throw becoming drapery over this department of his scientific research, and adapted it to the ears of the sensitive and the scrupulous. There can be no doubt that the lecturer stripped much professional detail but some downcast looks from the sisterhood con vinced us that he had not pruned quite enough. In truth, although unwilling to check the progress of science, we begin to think that some ‘very peculiar subjects, such as, ‘the digestive and other organs, midwifery’, etc. had better be confined to the lecture rooms of the hospital.”
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Science News a Century Ago. Nature 134, 505–506 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134505b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/134505b0