Why did Claude Bernard argue that medicine should be based on experimental physiology?

In his seminal work, An Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine, Claude Bernard argued that medicine must be founded on experimental physiology to ensure scientific progress.12

His argument was based on several key principles:

• Mechanistic Determination: He maintained that biological processes are determined by physico-chemical forces, rejecting the notion that a "vital force" explains life.1
• Scientific Foundation: While he believed physical and chemical sciences provide the necessary foundation for physiology, he argued that physiology is not entirely reducible to them.1
• Methodological Rigor: Bernard emphasized that researchers must use a guiding hypothesis that is either confirmed or refuted by experimental results, moving away from purely empirical observation.1
• Essential Tools: He asserted that vivisection is an indispensable tool for physiological research.1

By advocating for these principles, Bernard helped shift medicine away from the vitalism and indeterminism of earlier eras, establishing a framework for modern experimental medicine and the study of homeostasis.3