Medical Essays

第37章

Again,thecomplaintisoftenheardthatthenativepopulationisnotincreasingsorapidlyasinformergenerations。ThebreedingandnursingperiodofAmericanwomenisoneofpeculiardelicacyandfrequentinfirmity。Manyofthemmustrequireaconsiderableintervalbetweenthereproductiveefforts,torepairdamagesaridregainstrength。Thismatterisnottobedecidedbyanappealtounschoolednature。Itisthesamequestionasthatofthedeformedpelvis,——oneofdegree。Thefactsofmal-vitalizationareasmuchtobeattendedtoasthoseofmal-formation。Ifthewomanwithatwistedpelvisistobeconsideredanexempt,thewomanwithadefectiveorganizationshouldberecognizedasbelongingtotheinvalidcorps。Weshuddertohearwhatisallegedastotheprevalenceofcriminalpractices;ifbackofthesetherecanbeshownorganicincapacityorovertaxingoftoolimitedpowers,thefactsbelongtotheprovinceofthepracticalphysician,aswellasofthemoralistandthelegislator,andrequirehisgravestconsideration。

Taketheimportantquestionofbleeding。Isvenesectiondonewithforever?SixyearsagoitwassaidhereinanintroductoryLecturethatitwoulddoubtlesscomebackagainsoonerorlater。AfortnightagoIfoundmyselfinthecarswithoneofthemostsensibleandesteemedpractitionersinNewEngland。Hetookouthiswalletandshowedmetwolancets,whichhecarriedwithhim;hehadnevergivenuptheiruse。Thisisapointyouwillhavetoconsider。

Or,tomentiononeoutofmanyquestionableremedies,shallyougiveVeratrumVirideinfeversandinflammations?Itmakesthepulseslowerintheseaffections。Thenthepresumptionwouldnaturallybethatitdoesharm。ThecautionwithreferencetoitonthisgroundwaslongagorecordedintheLectureabovereferredto。SeewhatDr。

JohnHughesBennettsaysofitintherecenteditionofhisworkonMedicine。Nothingbutthemostcarefulclinicalexperiencecansettlethisandsuchpointsoftreatment。

Theseareallpracticalquestions——questionsoflifeanddeath,andeverydaywillbefullofjustsuchquestions。Taketheproblemofclimate。Apatientcomestoyouwithasthmaandwantstoknowwherehecanbreathe;anothercomestoyouwithphthisisandwantstoknowwherehecanlive。Whatboy’splayisninetenthsofallthatistaughtinmanyapretentiouscourseoflectures,comparedwithwhatanaccurateandextensiveknowledgeoftheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofdifferentresidencesintheseandothercomplaintswouldbetoapractisingphysicianIsawtheotherdayagentlemanlivinginCanada,whohadspentsevensuccessivewintersinEgypt,withtheentirereliefofcertainobscurethoracicsymptomswhichtroubledhimwhileathome。Isaw,twomonthsago,anothergentlemanfromMinnesota,anobserverandamanofsense,whoconsideredthatStateasthegreatsanatoriumforallpulmonarycomplaints。Ifhalfourgrownpopulationareorwillbemoreorlesstuberculous,thequestionofcolonizingFloridaassumesanewaspect。EvenwithinthebordersofourownState,theveryinterestingresearchesofDr。Bowditchshowthatthereisagreatvariationintheamountoftuberculousdiseaseindifferenttowns,apparentlyconnectedwithlocalconditions。ThehygienicmapofaStateisquiteasvaluableasitsgeologicalmap,anditisthebusinessofeverypractisingphysiciantoknowitthoroughly。TheyunderstandthisinEngland,andsendapatientwithadryirritatingcoughtoTorquayorPenzance,whiletheysendanotherwithrelaxedbronchialmembranestoCliftonorBrighton。Hereisanothergreatfieldforpracticalstudy。

Soastotheall-importantquestionofdiet。“Ofallthemeansofcureatourcommand,“saysDr。Bennett,“aregulationofthequantityandqualityofthedietisbyfarthemostpowerful。“Dr。MacCormacwouldperhapsexcepttheairwebreathe,forhethinksthatimpureair,especiallyinsleepingrooms,isthegreatcauseoftubercle。

ItissufficientlyprovedthattheAmerican,——theNewEnglander,——theBostonian,canbreedstrongandsoundchildren,generationaftergeneration,——nay,Ihaveshownbytherecordofaparticularfamilythatvitallossesmayberetrieved,andafeebleracegrowtolustyvigorinthisveryclimateandlocality。Isnotthequestionwhyouryoungmenandwomensooftenbreakdown,andhowtheycanbekeptfrombreakingdown,farmoreimportantforphysicianstosettlethanwhetherthereisonecranialvertebra,orwhethertherearefour,ornone?——

ButIhaveatasteforthehomologies,Iwanttogodeeplyintothesubjectofembryology,Iwantt

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