medical essays-第66章

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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。　　At　any　rate；　I　made　the　change；　and　soon　found　myself　introduced　to　new　scenes　and　new　companionships。

I　can　scarcely　credit　my　memory　when　I　recall　the　first　impressions　produced　upon　me　by　sights　afterwards　become　so　familiar　that　they　could　no　more　disturb　a　pulse…beat　than　the　commonest　of　every…day　experiences。　　The　skeleton；　hung　aloft　like　a　gibbeted　criminal；　looked　grimly　at　me　as　I　entered　the　room　devoted　to　the　students　of　the　school　I　had　joined；　just　as　the　fleshless　figure　of　Time；　with　the　hour…glass　and　scythe；　used　to　glare　upon　me　in　my　childhood　from　the　〃New　England　Primer。〃　　The　white　faces　in　the　beds　at　the　Hospital　found　their　reflection　in　my　own　cheeks；　which　lost　their　color　as　I　looked　upon　them。　　All　this　had　to　pass　away　in　a　little　time；　I　had　chosen　my　profession；　and　must　meet　its　painful　and　repulsive　aspects　until　they　lost　their　power　over　my　sensibilities。

The　private　medical　school　which　I　had　joined　was　one　established　by　Dr。　James　Jackson；　Dr。　Walter　Channing；　Dr。　John　Ware；　Dr。　Winslow　Lewis；　and　Dr。　George　W。　　Otis。　　Of　the　first　three　gentlemen　I　have　either　spoken　elsewhere　or　may　find　occasion　to　speak　hereafter。　　The　two　younger　members　of　this　association　of　teachers　were　both　graduates　of　our　University；　one　of　the　year　1819；　the　other　of　1818。

Dr。　Lewis　was　a　great　favorite　with　students。　　He　was　a　man　of　very　lively　temperament；　fond　of　old　books　and　young　people；　open…hearted；　free…spoken；　an　enthusiast　in　teaching；　and　especially　at　home　in　that　apartment　of　the　temple　of　science　where　nature　is　seen　in　undress；　the　anthropotomic　laboratory；　known　to　common　speech　as　the　dissecting…room。　　He　had　that　quality　which　is　the　special　gift　of　the　man　born　for　a　teacher；the　power　of　exciting　an　interest　in　that　which　he　taught。　　While　he　was　present　the　apartment　I　speak　of　was　the　sunniest　of　studios　in　spite　of　its　mortuary　spectacles。　　Of　the　students　I　met　there　I　best　remember　James　Jackson；　Junior；　full　of　zeal　and　playful　as　a　boy；　a　young　man　whose　early　death　was　a　calamity　to　the　profession　of　which　he　promised　to　be　a　chief　ornament；　the　late　Reverend　J。　S。　C。　Greene；　who；　as　the　prefix　to　his　name　signifies；　afterwards　changed　his　profession；　but　one　of　whose　dissections　I　remember　looking　upon　with　admiration；　and　my　friend　Mr。　Charles　Amory；　as　we　call　him；　Dr。　Charles　Amory；　as　he　is　entitled　to　be　called；　then；　as　now　and　always；　a　favorite　with　all　about　him。　　He　had　come　to　us　from　the　schools　of　Germany；　and　brought　with　him　recollections　of　the　teachings　of　Blumenbach　and　the　elder　Langenbeck；　father　of　him　whose　portrait　hangs　in　our　Museum。　Dr。　Lewis　was　our　companion　as　well　as　our　teacher。　　A　good　demonstrator　is；I　will　not　say　as　important　as　a　good　Professor　in　the　teaching　of　Anatomy；　because　I　am　not　sure　that　he　is　not　more　important。　　He　comes　into　direct　personal　relations　with　the　students；he　is　one　of　them；　in　fact；　as　the　Professor　cannot　be　from　the　nature　of　his　duties。　　The　Professor's　chair　is　an　insulating　stool；　so　to　speak；　his　age；　his　knowledge；　real　or　supposed；　his　official　station；　are　like　the　glass　legs　which　support　the　electrician's　piece　of　furniture；　and　cut　it　off　from　the　common　currents　of　the　floor　upon　which　it　stands。　　Dr。　Lewis　enjoyed　teaching　and　made　his　students　enjoy　being　taught。　　He　delighted　in　those　anatomical　conundrums　to　answer　which　keeps　the　student's　eyes　open　and　his　wits　awake。　　He　was　happy　as　he　dexterously　performed　the　tour　de　maitre　of　the　old　barber…surgeons；　or　applied　the　spica　bandage　and　taught　his　scholars　to　do　it；　so　neatly　and　symmetrically　that　the　aesthetic　missionary　from　the　older　centre　of　civilization　would　bend　over　it　in　blissful　contemplation；　as　if　it　were　a　sunflower。　　Dr。　Lewis　had　many　other　tastes；　and　was　a　favorite；　not　only　with　students；　but　in　a　wide　circle；　professional；　antiquarian；　masonic；　and　social。

Dr。　Otis　was　less　widely　known；　but　was　a　fluent　and　agreeable　lecturer；　and　esteemed　as　a　good　surgeon。

I　must　content　myself　with　this　glimpse　at　myself　and　a　few　of　my　fellow…students　in　Boston。　　After　attending　two　courses　of　Lectures　in　the　school　of　the　University；　I　went　to　Europe　to　continue　my　studies。

You　may　like　to　hear　something　of　the　famous　Professors　of　Paris　in　the　days　when　I　was　a　student　in　the　Ecole　de　Medicine；　and　following　the　great　Hospital　teachers。

I　can　hardly　believe　my　own　memory　when　I　recall　the　old　practitioners　and　Professors　who　were　still　going　round　the　hospitals　when　I　mingled　with　the　train　of　students　that　attended　the　morning　visits。　　See　that　bent　old　man　who　is　groping　his　way　through　the　wards　of　La　Charity。　　That　is　the　famous　Baron　Boyer；　author　of　the　great　work　on　surgery　in　nine　volumes；　a　writer　whose　clearness　of　style　commends　his　treatise　to　general　admiration；　and　makes　it　a　kind　of　classic。　　He　slashes　away　at　a　terrible　rate；　they　say；　when　he　gets　hold　of　the　subject　of　fistula　in　its　most　frequent　habitat；　but　I　never　saw　him　do　more　than　look　as　if　he　wanted　to　cut　a　good　dollop　out　of　a　patient　he　was　examining。　　The　short；　square；　substantial　man　with　iron…gray　hair；　ruddy　face；　and　white　apron　is　Baron　Larrey；　Napoleon's　favorite　surgeon；　the　most　honest　man　he　ever　saw；it　is　reputed　that　he　called　him。　　To　go　round　the　Hotel　des　Invalides　with　Larrey　was　to　live　over　the　campaigns　of　Napoleon；　to　look　on　the　sun　of　Austerlitz；　to　hear　the　cannons　of　Marengo；　to　struggle　through　the　icy　waters　of　the　Beresina；　to　shiver　in　the　snows　of　the　Russian　retreat；　and　to　gaze　through　the　battle　smoke　upon　the　last　charge　of　the　red　lancers　on　the　redder　field　of　Waterloo。　　Larrey　was　still　strong　and　sturdy　as　I　saw　him；　and　few　portraits　remain　printed　in　livelier　colors　on　the　tablet　of　my　memory。

Leave　the　little　group　of　students　which　gathers　about　Larrey　beneath　the　gilded　dome　of　the　Invalides　and　follow　me　to　the　Hotel　Dieu；　where　rules　and　reigns　the　master…surgeon　of　his　day；　at　least　so　far　as　Paris　and　France　are　concerned；the　illustrious　Baron　Dupuytren。　No　man　disputed　his　reign；　some　envied　his　supremacy。　　Lisfranc　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　he　spoke　of　〃ce　grand　homme　de　1'autre　cots　de　la　riviere；〃　that　great　man　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　but　the　great　man　he　remained；　until　he　bowed　before　the　mandate　which　none　may　disobey。　　〃Three　times；〃　said　Bouillaud；　〃did　the　apoplectic　thunderbolt　fall　on　that　robust　brain；〃it　yielded　at　last　as　the　old　bald　cliff　that　is　riven　and　crashes　down　into　the　valley。　　I　saw　him　before　the　first　thunderbolt　had　descended：　a　square；　solid　man；　with　a　high　and　full…domed　head；　oracular　in　his　utterances；　indifferent　to　those　around　him；　sometimes；　it　was　said；　very　rough　with　them。　　He　spoke　in　low；　even　tones；　with　quiet　fluency；　and　was　listened　to　with　that　hush　of　rapt　attention　which　I　have　hardly　seen　in　any　circle　of　listeners　unless　when　such　men　as　ex…President　John　Quincy　Adams　or　Daniel　Webster　were　the　speakers。　　I　do　not　think　that　Dupuytren　has　left　a　record　which　explains　his　influence；　but　in　point　of　fact　he　dominated　those　around　him　in　a　remarkable　manner。　You　must　have　all　witnessed　something　of　the　same　kind。　　The　personal　presence　of　some　men　carries　command　with　it；　and　their　accents　silence　the　crowd　around　them；　when　the　same　words　from　other　lips　might　fall　comparatively　unheeded。

As　for　Lisfranc；　I　can　say　little　more　of　him　than　that　he　was　a　great　drawer　of　blood　and　hewer　of　members。　　I　remember　his　ordering　a　wholesale　bleeding　of　his　patients；　right　and　left；　whatever　might　be　the　matter　with　them；　one　morning　when　a　phlebotomizing　fit　was　on　him。　　I　recollect　his　regretting　the　splendid　guardsmen　of　the　old　Empire；for　what？　　because　they　had　such　magnificent　thighs　to　amputate。　　I　got　along　about　as　far　as　that　with　him；　when　I　ceased　to　be　a　follower　of　M。　Lisfranc。

The　name　of　Velpeau　must　have　reached　many　of　you；　for　he　died　in　1867；　and　his　many　works　made　his　name　widely　known。　　Coming　to　Paris　in　wooden　shoes；　starving；　almost；　at　first；　he　raised　himself　to　great　eminence　as　a　surgeon　and　as　an　author；　and　at　last　obtained　the　Professorship　to　which　his　talents　and　learning　entitled　him。　His　example　may　be　an　encouragement　to　some　of　my　younger　hearers　who　are　born；　not　with　the　silver　spoon　in　their　mouths；　but　with　the　two…tined　iron　fork　in　their　hands。　　It　is　a　poor　thing　to　take　up　their　milk　porridge　with　in　their　young　days；　but　in　after　years　it　will　often　transfix　the　solid　dumplings　that　roll　out　of　the　silver　spoon。　　So　Velpeau　found　it。　　He　had　not　what　is　called　genius；　he　was　far　from　prepossessing　in　aspect；　looking　as　if　he　might　have　wielded　the　sledge…hammer　（as　I　think　he　had　done　in　early　life）　rather　than　the　lancet；　but　he　had　industry；　determination；　intelligence；　character；　and　he　made　his　way　to　distinction　and　prosperity；　as　some　of　you　sitting　on　these　benches　and　wondering　anxiously　what　is　to　become　of　you　in　the　struggle　for　life　will　have　done　before　the　twentieth　century　has　got　halfway　through　its　first　quarter。　　A　good　sound　head　over　a　pair　of　wooden　shoes　is　a　great　deal　better　than　a　wooden　head　belonging　to　an　owner　who　cases　his　feet　in　calf…skin；　but　a　good　brain　is　not　enough　without　a　stout　heart　to　fill　the　four　great　conduits　which　carry　at　once　fuel　and　fire　to　that　mightiest　of　engines。

How　many　of　you　who　are　before　me　are　familiarly　acquainted　with　the　name　of　Broussais；　or　even　with　that　of　Andral？　　Both　were　lecturing　at　the　Ecole　de　Medicine；　and　I　often　heard　them。　　Broussais　was　in　those　days　like　an　old　volcano；　which　has　pretty　nearly　used　up　its　fire　and　brimstone；　but　is　still　boiling　and　bubbling　in　its　interior；　and　now　and　then　sends　up　a　spirt　of　lava　and　a　volley　of　pebbles。　　His　theories　of　gastro…enteritis；　of　irritation　and　inflammation　as　the　cause　of　disease；　and　the　practice　which　sprang　from　them；　ran　over　the　fields　of　medicine　for　a　time　like　flame　over　the　grass　of　the　prairies。　　The　way　in　which　that　knotty…featured；　savage　old　man　would　bring　out　the　word　irritationwith　rattling　and　rolling　reduplication　of　the　resonant　letter　rmight　have　taught　a　lesson　in　articulation　to　Salvini。　　But　Broussais's　theory　was　languishing　and　well…nigh　become　obsolete；　and　this；　no　doubt；　added　vehemence　to　his　defence　of　his　cherished　dogmas。

Old　theories；　and　old　men　who　cling　to　them；　must　take　themselves　out　of　the　way　as　the　new　generation　with　its　fresh　thoughts　and　altered　habits　of　mind　comes　forward　to　take　the　place　of　that　which　is　dying　out。　This　was　a　truth　which　the　fiery　old　theorist　found　it　very　hard　to　learn；　and　harder　to　bear；　as　it　was　forced　upon　him。　　For　the　hour　of　his　lecture　was　succeeded　by　that　of　a　younger　and　far　more　popular　professor。　　As　his　lecture　drew　towards　its　close；　the　benches；　thinly　sprinkled　with　students；　began　to　fill　up；　the　doors　creaked　open　and　banged　back　oftener　and　oftener；　until　at　last　the　sound　grew　almost　continuous；　and　the　voice　of　the　lecturer　became　a　leonine　growl　as　he　strove　in　vain　to　be　heard　over　the　noise　of　doors　and　footsteps。

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