▁concerning ▁the ▁laws ▁and ▁principles ▁of ▁in ert ▁nature ▁- ▁the ▁Cop ern ican , ▁Gal ile an ▁and ▁Newton ian ▁revolution s ▁in ▁cel est ial ▁and ▁earth ly ▁mechan ics ▁- ▁astronom y ▁and ▁physics . ▁With ▁great ▁confidence ▁and ▁optim ism , ▁philosophy ▁and ▁science ▁turned ▁to ▁the ▁mystery ▁of ▁life , ▁or ▁rather , ▁that ▁of ▁health ▁- ▁how ▁to ▁restore ▁and ▁maintain ▁it . ▁Those ▁most ▁immediately ▁drawn ▁to ▁this ▁field ▁were ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁some ▁concern ▁with ▁health ▁issues , ▁phys icians ▁in ▁particular . ▁Thus , ▁a ▁natural ▁al liance ▁formed ▁between ▁natural ▁philosophy ▁and ▁science ▁on ▁the ▁one ▁hand ▁and ▁medicine ▁on ▁the ▁other . ▁What ▁they ▁had ▁in ▁common ▁was ▁to ▁advance ▁the ▁discipline ▁of ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁living ▁functions ▁or ▁phys i ology . ▁ ▁Ir rit ability ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁in ert ial ▁sciences ▁and ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁method ▁used ▁to ▁gain ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁laws ▁and ▁principles ▁applying ▁to ▁in ert ▁nature , ▁the ▁initial ▁approach ▁was ▁to ▁apply ▁the ▁same ▁method ▁to ▁vital ▁nature . ▁What ▁emer ged ▁from ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁extensive ▁study ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 0 0 s ▁of ▁‘ ir rit ability ’ , ▁this ▁being ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁nerv ous ▁system ▁and ▁involving ▁physical ▁forces ▁such ▁as ▁electric ity ▁and ▁magnet ism . ▁However , ▁the ▁mechan ico - material ▁explanation ▁was ▁not ▁fruit ful ▁when ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁actually ▁dealing ▁with ▁life ▁in