The aim of philosophic anatomy is the study of the reason of things, of the principles, of the general laws of anatomy, of the relation of cause and effect. It includes also, last but not least, the singling out of the peculiarities, i. e., the special features presented by organs, and it endeavors to explain their reason, their why, their wherefore. The task is not an easy one in the present condition of our knowledge. Studied from this point of view, the dryness of anatomy vanishes and it becomes a revelation to the student. In this study, it is assumed that the reader is familiar with the peculiarities and no description of them shall be repeated.
The philosophic anatomy of the tongue, given below, is an attempt to illustrate this idea. It will be followed later by other similar descriptions of a subject which has never been touched before by