medical essays-第65章

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strict　regard　to　those　laws；　threatens　the　welfare；　if　not　the　existence　of　institutions　for　medical　instruction　wherever　it　is　not　held　in　check　by　enlightened　intelligence。　　And　on　the　other　hand　the　profession　has　just　been　startled　by　a　verdict　against　a　physician；　ruinous　in　its　amount；enough　to　drive　many　a　hard…　working　young　practitioner　out　of　house　and　home；a　verdict　which　leads　to　the　fear　that　suits　for　malpractice　may　take　the　place　of　the　panel　game　and　child…stealing　as　a　means　of　extorting　money。　　If　the　profession　in　this　State；　which　claims　a　high　standard　of　civilization；　is　to　be　crushed　and　ground　beneath　the　upper　millstone　of　the　dearth　of　educational　advantages　and　the　lower　millstone　of　ruinous　penalties　for　what　the　ignorant　ignorantly　shall　decide　to　be　ignorance；　all　I　can　say　is

God　save　the　Commonhealth　of　Massachusetts！

Once　more；　we　cannot　fail　to　see　that　just　as　astrology　has　given　place　to　astronomy；　so　theology；　the　science　of　Him　whom　by　searching　no　man　can　find　out；　is　fast　being　replaced　by　what　we　may　not　improperly　call　theonomy；　or　the　science　of　the　laws　according　to　which　the　Creator　acts。　　And　since　these　laws　find　their　fullest　manifestations　for　us；　at　least；　in　rational　human　natures；　the　study　of　anthropology　is　largely　replacing　that　of　scholastic　divinity。　　We　must　contemplate　our　Maker　indirectly　in　human　attributes　as　we　talk　of　Him　in　human　parts　of　speech。　　And　this　gives　a　sacredness　to　the　study　of　man　in　his　physical；　mental；　moral；　social；　and　religious　nature　which　elevates　the　faithful　students　of　anthropology　to　the　dignity　of　a　priesthood；　and　sheds　a　holy　light　on　the　recorded　results　of　their　labors；　brought　together　as　they　are　in　such　a　collection　as　this　which　is　now　spread　out　before　us。

Thus；　then；　our　library　is　a　temple　as　truly　as　the　dome…crowned　cathedral　hallowed　by　the　breath　of　prayer　and　praise；　where　the　dead　repose　and　the　living　worship。　　May　it；　with　all　its　treasures；　be　consecrated　like　that　to　the　glory　of　God；　through　the　contributions　it　shall　make　to　the　advancement　of　sound　knowledge；　to　the　relief　of　human　suffering；　to　the　promotion　of　harmonious　relations　between　the　members　of　the　two　noble　professions　which　deal　with　the　diseases　of　the　soul　and　with　those　of　the　body；　and　to　the　common　cause　in　which　all　good　men　are　working；　the　furtherance　of　the　well…being　of　their　fellow…creatures！

NOTE。As　an　illustration　of　the　statement　in　the　last　paragraph　but　one；　I　take　the　following　notice　from　the　〃Boston　Daily　Advertiser；〃　of　December　4th；　the　day　after　the　delivery　of　the　address：　〃Prince　Lucien　Bonaparte　is　now　living　in　London；　and　is　devoting　himself　to　the　work　of　collecting　the　creeds　of　all　religions　and　sects；　with　a　view　to　their　classification；his　object　being　simply　scientific　or　anthropological。〃

Since　delivering　the　address；　also；　I　find　a　leading　article　in　the　〃Cincinnati　Lancet　and　Clinic〃　of　November　30th；　headed　〃The　Decadence　of　Homoeopathy；〃　abundantly　illustrated　by　extracts　from　the　〃Homoeopathic　Times；〃　the　leading　American　organ　of　that　sect。

In　the　New　York　〃Medical　Record〃　of　the　same　date；　which　I　had　not　seen　before　the　delivery　of　my　address；　is　an　account　of　the　action　of　the　Homoeopathic　Medical　Society　of　Northern　New　York；　in　which　Hahnemann's　theory　of　〃dynamization〃　is　characterized　in　a　formal　resolve　as　〃unworthy　the　confidence　of　the　Homoeopathic　profession。〃

It　will　be　a　disappointment　to　the　German　Homoeopathists　to　read　in　the　〃Homoeopathic　Times〃　such　a　statement　as　the　following：　〃Whatever　the　influences　have　been　which　have　checked　the　outward　development　of　Homoeopathy；　it　is　plainly　evident　that　the　Homoeopathic　school；　as　regards　the　number　of　its　openly　avowed　representatives；　has　attained　its　majority；　and　has　begun　to　decline　both　in　this　country　and　in　England。〃

All　which　is　an　additional　reason　for　making　a　collection　of　the　incredibly　curious　literature　of　Homoeopathy　before　that　pseudological　inanity　has　faded　out　like　so　many　other　delusions。






SOME　OF　MY　EARLY　TEACHERS

＇A　Farewell　Address　to　the　Medical　School　of　Harvard　University；　November　28；　1882。＇

I　had　intended　that　the　recitation　of　Friday　last　should　be　followed　by　a　few　parting　words　to　my　class　and　any　friends　who　might　happen　to　be　in　the　lecture…room。　　But　I　learned　on　the　preceding　evening　that　there　was　an　expectation；　a　desire；　that　my　farewell　should　take　a　somewhat　different　form；　and　not　to　disappoint　the　wishes　of　those　whom　I　was　anxious　to　gratify；　I　made　up　my　mind　to　appear　before　you　with　such　hasty　preparation　as　the　scanty　time　admitted。

There　are　three　occasions　upon　which　a　human　being　has　a　right　to　consider　himself　as　a　centre　of　interest　to　those　about　him：　when　he　is　christened；　when　he　is　married；　and　when　he　is　buried。　　Every　one　is　the　chief　personage；　the　hero；　of　his　own　baptism；　his　own　wedding；　and　his　own　funeral。

There　are　other　occasions；　less　momentous；　in　which　one　may　make　more　of　himself　than　under　ordinary　circumstances　he　would　think　it　proper　to　do；　when　he　may　talk　about　himself；　and　tell　his　own　experiences；　in　fact；　indulge　in　a　more　or　less　egotistic　monologue　without　fear　or　reproach。

I　think　I　may　claim　that　this　is　one　of　those　occasions。　　I　have　delivered　my　last　anatomical　lecture　and　heard　my　class　recite　for　the　last　time。　　They　wish　to　hear　from　me　again　in　a　less　scholastic　mood　than　that　in　which　they　have　known　me。　　Will　you　not　indulge　me　in　telling　you　something　of　my　own　story？

This　is　the　thirty…sixth　Course　of　Lectures　in　which　I　have　taken　my　place　and　performed　my　duties　as　Professor　of　Anatomy。　　For　more　than　half　of　my　term　of　office　I　gave　instruction　in　Physiology；　after　the　fashion　of　my　predecessors　and　in　the　manner　then　generally　prevalent　in　our　schools；　where　the　physiological　laboratory　was　not　a　necessary　part　of　the　apparatus　of　instruction。　　It　was　with　my　hearty　approval　that　the　teaching　of　Physiology　was　constituted　a　separate　department　and　made　an　independent　Professorship。　　Before　my　time；　Dr。　Warren　had　taught　Anatomy；　Physiology；　and　Surgery　in　the　same　course　of　Lectures；　lasting　only　three　or　four　months。　　As　the　boundaries　of　science　are　enlarged；　new　divisions　and　subdivisions　of　its　territories　become　necessary。　　In　the　place　of　six　Professors　in　1847；　when　I　first　became　a　member　of　the　Faculty；　I　count　twelve　upon　the　Catalogue　before　me；　and　I　find　the　whole　number　engaged　in　the　work　of　instruction　in　the　Medical　School　amounts　to　no　less　than　fifty。

Since　I　began　teaching　in　this　school；　the　aspect　of　many　branches　of　science　has　undergone　a　very　remarkable　transformation。　　Chemistry　and　Physiology　are　no　longer　what　they　were；　as　taught　by　the　instructors　of　that　time。　　We　are　looking　forward　to　the　synthesis　of　new　organic　compounds；　our　artificial　madder　is　already　in　the　market；　and　the　indigo…raisers　are　now　fearing　that　their　crop　will　be　supplanted　by　the　manufactured　article。　　In　the　living　body　we　talk　of　fuel　supplied　and　work　done；　in　movement；　in　heat；　just　as　if　we　were　dealing　with　a　machine　of　our　own　contrivance。

A　physiological　laboratory　of　to…day　is　equipped　with　instruments　of　research　of　such　ingenious　contrivance；　such　elaborate　construction；　that　one　might　suppose　himself　in　a　workshop　where　some　exquisite　fabric　was　to　be　wrought；　such　as　Queens　love　to　wear；　and　Kings　do　not　always　love　to　pay　for。　　They　are；　indeed；　weaving　a　charmed　web；　for　these　are　the　looms　from　which　comes　the　knowledge　that　clothes　the　nakedness　of　the　intellect。　　Here　are　the　mills　that　grind　food　for　its　hunger；　and　〃is　not　the　life　more　than　meat；　and　the　body　than　raiment？〃

But　while　many　of　the　sciences　have　so　changed　that　the　teachers　of　the　past　would　hardly　know　them；　it　has　not　been　so　with　the　branch　I　teach；　or；　rather；　with　that　division　of　it　which　is　chiefly　taught　in　this　amphitheatre。　　General　anatomy；　or　histology；　on　the　other　hand；　is　almost　all　new；　it　has　grown　up；　mainly；　since　I　began　my　medical　studies。　　I　never　saw　a　compound　microscope　during　my　years　of　study　in　Paris。　　Individuals　had　begun　to　use　the　instrument；　but　I　never　heard　it　alluded　to　by　either　Professors　or　students。　　In　descriptive　anatomy　I　have　found　little　to　unlearn；　and　not　a　great　deal　that　was　both　new　and　important　to　learn。　　Trifling　additions　are　made　from　year　to　year；　not　to　be　despised　and　not　to　be　overvalued。　　Some　of　the　older　anatomical　works　are　still　admirable；　some　of　the　newer　ones　very　much　the　contrary。　　I　have　had　recent　anatomical　plates　brought　me　for　inspection；　and　I　have　actually　button…holed　the　book…agent；　a　being　commonly　as　hard　to　get　rid　of　as　the　tar…baby　in　the　negro　legend；　that　I　might　put　him　to　shame　with　the　imperial　illustrations　of　the　bones　and　muscles　in　the　great　folio　of　Albinus；　published　in　1747；　and　the　unapproached　figures　of　the　lymphatic　system　of　Mascagni；　now　within　a　very　few　years　of　a　century　old；　and　still　copied；　or；　rather；　pretended　to　be　copied；　in　the　most　recent　works　on　anatomy。

I　am　afraid　that　it　is　a　good　plan　to　get　rid　of　old　Professors；　and　I　am　thankful　to　hear　that　there　is　a　movement　for　making　provision　for　those　who　are　left　in　need　when　they　lose　their　offices　and　their　salaries。　　I　remember　one　of　our　ancient　Cambridge　Doctors　once　asked　me　to　get　into　his　rickety　chaise；　and　said　to　me；　half　humorously；　half　sadly；　that　he　was　like　an　old　horse；they　had　taken　off　his　saddle　and　turned　him　out　to　pasture。　　I　fear　the　grass　was　pretty　short　where　that　old　servant　of　the　public　found　himself　grazing。　　If　I　myself　needed　an　apology　for　holding　my　office　so　long；　I　should　find　it　in　the　fact　that　human　anatomy　is　much　the　same　study　that　it　was　in　the　days　of　Vesalius　and　Fallopius；　and　that　the　greater　part　of　my　teaching　was　of　such　a　nature　that　it　could　never　become　antiquated。

Let　me　begin　with　my　first　experience　as　a　medical　student。　　I　had　come　from　the　lessons　of　Judge　Story　and　Mr。　Ashmun　in　the　Law　School　at　Cambridge。　　I　had　been　busy；　more　or　less；　with　the　pages　of　Blackstone　and　Chitty；　and　other　text…books　of　the　first　year　of　legal　study。　　More　or　less；　I　say；　but　I　am　afraid　it　was　less　rather　than　more。　　For　during　that　year　I　first　tasted　the　intoxicating　pleasure　of　authorship。　　A　college　periodical；　conducted　by　friends　of　mine；　still　undergraduates；　tempted　me　into　print；　and　there　is　no　form　of　lead…poisoning　which　more　rapidly　and　thoroughly　pervades　the　blood　and　bones　and　marrow　than　that　which　reaches　the　young　author　through　mental　contact　with　type…metal。　　Qui　a　bu；　boira；he　who　has　once　been　a　drinker　will　drink　again；　says　the　French　proverb。　　So　the　man　or　woman　who　has　tasted　type　is　sure　to　return　to　his　old　indulgence　sooner　or　later。　　In　that　fatal　year　I　had　my　first　attack　of　authors'　lead…poisoning；　and　I　have　never　got　quite　rid　of　it　from　that　day　to　this。　　But　for　that　I　might　have　applied　myself　more　diligently　to　my　legal　studies；　and　carried　a　green　bag　in　place　of　a　stethoscope　and　a　thermometer　up　to　the　present　day。

What　determined　me　to　give　up　Law　and　apply　myself　to　Medicine　I　can　hardly　say；　but　I　had　from　the　first　looked　upon　that　year's　study　as　an　experiment。