a mortal antipathy-第26章

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XIII



DR。　BUTTS　READS　A　PAPER。



〃Next　to　the　interest　we　take　in　all　that　relates　to　our　immortal

souls　is　that　which　we　feel　for　our　mortal　bodies。　　I　am　afraid　my

very　first　statement　may　be　open　to　criticism。　　The　care　of　the　body

is　the　first　thought　with　a　great　many；in　fact；　with　the　larger

part　of　the　world。　　They　send　for　the　physician　first；　and　not　until

he　gives　them　up　do　they　commonly　call　in　the　clergyman。　　Even　the

minister　himself　is　not　so　very　different　from　other　people。　　We　must

not　blame　him　if　he　is　not　always　impatient　to　exchange　a　world　of

multiplied　interests　and　ever…changing　sources　of　excitement　for　that

which　tradition　has　delivered　to　us　as　one　eminently　deficient　in　the

stimulus　of　variety。　　Besides；　these　bodily　frames；　even　when　worn

and　disfigured　by　long　years　of　service；　hang　about　our　consciousness

like　old　garments。　　They　are　used　to　us；　and　we　are　used　to　them。

And　all　the　accidents　of　our　lives；the　house　we　dwell　in；　the

living　people　round　us；　the　landscape　we　look　over；　all；　up　to　the

sky　that　covers　us　like　a　bell　glass；all　these　are　but　looser

outside　garments　which　we　have　worn　until　they　seem　a　part　of　us；　and

we　do　not　like　the　thought　of　changing　them　for　a　new　suit　which　we

have　never　yet　tried　on。　　How　well　I　remember　that　dear　ancient　lady；

who　lived　well　into　the　last　decade　of　her　century；　as　she　repeated

the　verse　which；　if　I　had　but　one　to　choose；　I　would　select　from　that

string　of　pearls；　Gray's　'Elegy'！



　　　　'For　who　to　dumb　forgetfulness　a　prey

　　　　　This　pleasing；　anxious　being　e'er　resigned；

　　　　　Left　the　warm　precincts　of　the　cheerful　day；

　　　　　Nor　cast　one　longing；　lingering　look　behind？'



Plotinus　was　ashamed　of　his　body；　we　are　told。　　Better　so；　it　may　be；

than　to　live　solely　for　it；　as　so　many　do。　　But　it　may　be　well

doubted　if　there　is　any　disciple　of　Plotinus　in　this　Society。　　On　the

contrary；　there　are　many　who　think　a　great　deal　of　their　bodies；　many

who　have　come　here　to　regain　the　health　they　have　lost　in　the　wear

and　tear　of　city　life；　and　very　few　who　have　not　at　some　time　or

other　of　their　lives　had　occasion　to　call　in　the　services　of　a

physician。



〃There　is；　therefore；　no　impropriety　in　my　offering　to　the　members

some　remarks　upon　the　peculiar　difficulties　which　beset　the　medical

practitioner　in　the　discharge　of　his　laborious　and　important　duties。



〃A　young　friend　of　mine；　who　has　taken　an　interest　in　medical

studies；　happened　to　meet　with　a　very　familiar　story　about　one　of　the

greatest　and　most　celebrated　of　all　English　physicians；　Thomas

Sydenham。　　The　story　is　that；　when　a　student　asked　him　what　books　he

should　read；　the　great　doctor　told　him　to　read　'Don　Quixote。'



〃This　piece　of　advice　has　been　used　to　throw　contempt　upon　the　study

of　books；　and　furnishes　a　convenient　shield　for　ignorant　pretenders。

But　Sydenham　left　many　writings　in　which　he　has　recorded　his　medical

experience；　and　he　surely　would　not　have　published　them　if　he　had　not

thought　they　would　be　better　reading　for　the　medical　student　than　the

story　of　Cervantes。　　His　own　works　are　esteemed　to　this　day；　and　he

certainly　could　not　have　supposed　that　they　contained　all　the　wisdom

of　all　the　past。　　No　remedy　is　good；　it　was　said　of　old；　unless

applied　at　the　right　time　in　the　right　way。　　So　we　may　say　of　all

anecdotes；　like　this　which　I　have　told　you　about　Sydenham　and　the

young　man。　　It　is　very　likely　that　he　carried　him　to　the　bedside　of

some　patients；　and　talked　to　him　about　the　cases　he　showed　him；

instead　of　putting　a　Latin　volume　in　his　hand。　　I　would　as　soon　begin

in　that　way　as　any　other；　with　a　student　who　had　already　mastered　the

preliminary　branches；who　knew　enough　about　the　structure　and

functions　of　the　body　in　health。



〃But　if　you　ask　me　what　reading　I　would　commend　to　the　medical

student　of　a　philosophical　habit　of　mind；　you　may　be　surprised　to

hear　me　say　it　would　be　certain　passages　in　'Rasselas。'　　They　are　the

ones　where　the　astronomer　gives　an　account　to　Imlac　of　his　management

of　the　elements；　the　control　of　which；　as　he　had　persuaded　himself；

had　been　committed　to　him。　　Let　me　read　you　a　few　sentences　from　this

story；　which　is　commonly　bound　up　with　the　'Vicar　of　Wakefield；'　like

a　woollen　lining　to　a　silken　mantle；　but　is　full　of　stately　wisdom　in

processions　of　paragraphs　which　sound　as　if　they　ought　to　have　a

grammatical　drum…major　to　march　before　their　tramping　platoons。



〃The　astronomer　has　taken　Imlac　into　his　confidence；　and　reveals　to

him　the　secret　of　his　wonderful　powers：



〃'Hear；　Imlac；　what　thou　wilt　not　without　difficulty　credit。　　I　have

possessed　for　five　years　the　regulation　of　the　weather　and　the

distribution　of　the　seasons　the　sun　has　listened　to　my　dictates；　and

passed　from　tropic　to　tropic　by　my　direction；　the　clouds；　at　my　call；

have　poured　their　waters；　and　the　Nile　has　overflowed　at　my　command；

I　have　restrained　the　rage　of　the　dog…star；　and　mitigated　the　fervors

of　the　crab。　　The　winds　alone；　of　all　the　elemental　powers；　have

hitherto　eluded　my　authority；　and　multitudes　have　perished　by

equinoctial　tempests；　which　I　found　myself　unable　to　prohibit　or

restrain。'



〃The　reader　naturally　wishes　to　know　how　the　astronomer；　a　sincere；

devoted；　and　most　benevolent　man；　for　forty　years　a　student　of　the

heavens；　came　to　the　strange　belief　that　he　possessed　these

miraculous　powers。　　This　is　his　account：



〃'One　day；　as　I　was　looking　on　the　fields　withering　with　heat；　I　felt

in　my　mind　a　sudden　wish　that　I　could　send　rain　on　the　southern

mountains；　and　raise　the　Nile　to　an　inundation。　　In　the　hurry　of　my

imagination　I　commanded　rain　to　fall；　and　by　comparing　the　time　of　my

command　with　that　of　the　inundation　I　found　that　the　clouds　had

listened　to　my　lips。'



〃'Might　not　some　other　cause；'　said　I；　'produce　this　concurrence？

The　Nile　does　not　always　rise　on　the　same　day。'



〃'Do　not　believe；'　said　he；　with　impatience；　I　that　such　objections

could　escape　me：　I　reasoned　long　against　my　own　conviction；　and

labored　against　truth　with　the　utmost　obstinacy。　　I　sometimes

suspected　myself　of　madness；　and　should　not　have　dared　to　impart　this

secret　but　to　a　man　like　you；　capable　of　distinguishing　the　wonderful

from　the　impossible　and　the　incredible　from　the　false。'



〃The　good　old　astronomer　gives　his　parting　directions　to　Imlac；　whom

he　has　adopted　as　his　successor　in　the　government　of　the　elements　and

the　seasons；　in　these　impressive　words：



〃Do　not；　in　the　administration　of　the　year；　indulge　thy　pride　by

innovation；　do　not　please　thyself　with　thinking　that　thou　canst　make

thyself　renowned　to　all　future　ages　by　disordering　the　seasons。　　The

memory　of　mischief　is　no　desirable　fame。　　Much　less　will　it　become

thee　to　let　kindness　or　interest　prevail。　　Never　rob　other　countries

of　rain　to　pour　it　on　thine　own。　　For　us　the　Nile　is　sufficient。'



〃Do　you　wonder；　my　friends；　why　I　have　chosen　these　passages；　in

which　the　delusions　of　an　insane　astronomer　are　related　with　all　the

pomp　of　the　Johnsonian　vocabulary；　as　the　first　lesson　for　the　young

person　about　to　enter　on　the　study　of　the　science　and　art　of　healing？

Listen　to　me　while　I　show　you　the　parallel　of　the　story　of　the

astronomer　in　the　history　of　medicine。



〃This　history　is　luminous　with　intelligence；　radiant　with

benevolence；　but　all　its　wisdom　and　all　its　virtue　have　had　to

struggle　with　the　ever…rising　mists　of　delusion。　　The　agencies　which

waste　and　destroy　the　race　of　mankind　are　vast　and　resistless　as　the

elemental　forces　of　nature；　nay；　they　are　themselves　elemental

forces。　　They　may　be　to　some　extent　avoided；　to　some　extent　diverted

from　their　aim；　to　some　extent　resisted。　　So　may　the　changes　of　the

seasons；　from　cold　that　freezes　to　heats　that　strike　with　sudden

death；　be　guarded　against。　　So　may　the　tides　be　in　some　small　measure

restrained　in　their　inroads。　　So　may　the　storms　be　breasted　by　walls

they　cannot　shake　from　their　foundations。　　But　the　seasons　and　the

tides　and　the　tempests　work　their　will　on　the　great　scale　upon

whatever　stands　in　their　way；　they　feed　or　starve　the　tillers　of　the

soil；　they　spare　or　drown　the　dwellers　by　the　shore；　they　waft　the

seaman　to　his　harbor　or　bury　him　in　the　angry　billows。



〃The　art　of　the　physician　can　do　much　to　remove　its　subjects　from

deadly　and　dangerous　influences；　and　something　to　control　or　arrest

the　effects　of　these　influences。　　But　look　at　the　records　of　the

life…insurance　offices；　and　see　how　uniform　is　the　action　of　nature's

destroying　agencies。　　Look　at　the　annual　reports　of　the　deaths　in　any

of　our　great　cities；　and　see　how　their　regularity　approaches　the

uniformity　of　the　tides；　and　their　variations　keep　pace　with　those　of

the　seasons。　　The　inundations　of　the　Nile　are　not　more　certainly　to

be　predicted　than　the　vast　wave　of　infantile　disease　which　flows　in

upon　all　our　great　cities　with　the　growing　heats　of　July；than　the

fevers　and　dysenteries　which　visit　our　rural　districts　in　the　months

of　the　falling　leaf。



〃The　physician　watches　these　changes　as　the　astronomer　watched　the

rise　of　the　great　river。　　He　longs　to　rescue　individuals；　to　protect

communities　from　the　inroads　of　these　destroying　agencies。　　He　uses

all　the　means　which　experience　has　approved；　tries　every　rational

method　which　ingenuity　can　suggest。　　Some　fortunate　recovery　leads

him　to　believe　he　has　hit　upon　a　preventive　or　a　cure　for　a　malady

which　had　resisted　all　known　remedies。　　His　rescued　patient　sounds

his　praises；　and　a　wide　circle　of　his　patient's　friends　joins　in　a

chorus　of　eulogies。　　Self…love　applauds　him　for　his　sagacity。　　Self…

interest　congratulates　him　on　his　having　found　the　road　to　fortune；

the　sense　of　having　proved　a　benefactor　of　his　race　smooths　the

pillow　on　which　he　lays　his　head　to　dream　of　the　brilliant　future

opening　before　him。　　If　a　single　coincidence　may　lead　a　person　of

sanguine　disposition　to　believe　that　he　has　mastered　a　disease　which

had　baffled　all　who　were　before　his　time；　and　on　which　his

contemporaries　looked　in　hopeless　impotence；　what　must　be　the　effect

of　a　series　of　such　coincidences　even　on　a　mind　of　calmer　temper！

Such　series　of　coincidences　will　happen；　and　they　may　well　deceive

the　very　elect。　　Think　of　Dr。　Rush；you　know　what　a　famous　man　he

was；　the　very　head　and　front　of　American　medical　science　in　his　day；

and　remember　how　he　spoke　about　yellow　fever；　which　he　thought　he

had　mastered！



〃Thus　the　physician　is　entangled　in　the　meshes　of　a　wide　conspiracy；

in　which　he　and　his　patient　and　their　friends；　and…Nature　herself；

are　involved。　　What　wonder　that　the　history　of　Medicine　should　be　to

so　great　an　extent　a　record　of　self…delusion！



〃If　this　seems　a　dangerous　concession　to　the　enemies　of　the　true

science　and　art　of　healing；　I　will　remind　you　that　it　is　all　implied

in　the　first　a