Medical Essays

第45章

“FrereJacques,“whotaughtthelithotomistsofParis,oweshisecclesiasticaltitletocourtesy,ashedidnotbelongtoareligiousorder。

Medicalscience,andespeciallythestudyofmentaldisease,isdestined,Ibelieve,toreacttomuchgreateradvantageonthetheologyofthefuturethantheologyhasactedonmedicineinthepast。Theliberalspiritverygenerallyprevailinginbothprofessions,andthegoodunderstandingbetweentheirmostenlightenedmembers,promisewellforthefutureofbothinacommunitywhichholdseverypointofhumanbelief,everyinstitutioninhumanhands,andeverywordwritteninahumandialect,opentofreediscussiontoday,to-morrow,andtotheendoftime。Whethertheworldatlargewilleverbecuredoftrustingtospecificsasasubstituteforobservingthelawsofhealth,andtomechanicalorintellectualformulaasasubstituteforcharacter,mayadmitofquestion。Quackeryandidolatryareallbutimmortal。

Wecanfindmostoftheoldbeliefsaliveamongstusto-day,onlyhavingchangedtheirdressesandthesocialspheresinwhichtheythrive。WethinkthequarrelsofGalenistsandchemistsbelongtothepast,forgettingthatThomsonismhasitsnumerousapostlesinourcommunity;thatitiscommontoseeremediesvauntedaspurelyvegetable,andthattheprejudiceagainst“mineralpoisons,“

especiallymercury,isasstronginmanyquartersnowasitwasatthebeginningoftheseventeenthcentury。Namesareonlyair,andblowawaywithachangeofwind;butbeliefsarerootedinhumanwantsandweakness,anddiehard。TheoaksofDodonaareprostrate,andtheshrineofDelphiisdesolate;butthePythonessandtheSibylmaybeconsultedinLowellStreetforaverymoderatecompensation。

NostradamusandLillyseemimpossibleinourtime;butwehaveseentheadvertisementsofanastrologerinourBostonpapersyearafteryear,whichseemstoimplythathefoundbelieversandpatrons。YousmiledwhenIrelatedSirKenelmDigby’sprescriptionwiththeliveeelinit;butifeachofyouweretoemptyhisorherpockets,wouldtherenotrollout,frommorethanoneofthem,ahorse-chestnut,carriedaboutasacureforrheumatism?ThebrazenheadofRogerBaconismute;butisnot“Planchette“utteringherresponsesinahundredhousesofthiscity?WethinkofpalmistryorchiromancyasbelongingtothedaysofAlbertusMagnus,or,ifexistinginourtime,asgivenovertothegypsies;butaverydistinguishedpersonhasrecentlyshownmethelineoflife,andthelineoffortune,onthepalmofhishand,withaseemingconfidenceinthesanguinepredictionsofhiscareerwhichhadbeendrawnfromthem。Whatshallwesayoftheplausibleandwell-dressedcharlatansofourowntime,whotradeinfalsepretences,likeNicholasKnappofold,butwithoutanyfearofbeingfinedorwhipped;orofthemanyfolliesandinanities,imposingonthecredulouspartofthecommunity,eachofthemgapingwitheager,openmouthforagratuitousadvertisementbythementionofitsfoolishnameinanyrespectableconnection?

Iturnfromthislesspleasingaspectofthecommonintelligencewhichrenderssuchfolliespossible,toclosethehonorablerecordofthemedicalprofessioninthis,ourancientCommonwealth。

Wehaveseenitinthefirstcenturydividedamongclergymen,magistrates,andregularpractitioners;yet,onthewhole,forthetime,andunderthecircumstances,respectable,exceptwhereitinvokedsupernaturalagenciestoaccountfornaturalphenomena。

Inthesecondcenturyitsimplifieditspractice,educatedmanyintelligentpractitioners,andbegantheworkoforganizingforconcertedaction,andformedicalteaching。

Inthis,ourowncentury,ithasbuilthospitals,perfectedandmultiplieditsassociationsandeducationalinstitutions,enlargedandcreatedmuseums,andchallengedaplaceintheworldofsciencebyitsliterature。

Inreviewingthewholecourseofitshistorywereadalonglistofhonorednames,andapreciousrecordwritteninprivatememories,inpubliccharities,inpermanentcontributionstomedicalscience,ingeneroussacrificesforthecountry。WecanpointtoourcapitalastheportofentryfortheNewWorldofthegreatmedicaldiscoveriesoftwosuccessivecenturies,andwecanclaimforitthetriumphoverthemostdreadedfoethatassailsthehumanbody,——atriumphwhichtheannalsoftheracecanhardlymatchinthreethousandyearsofmedicalhistory。

THEYOUNGPRACTITIONER

[AValedictoryAddressdeliveredtotheGraduatingClassoftheBellevueHospitalCollege,March2,1871。]

Theoccasionwhichcallsustogetherremindsusnotalittleofthatotherceremonywhichunitesamanandwomanforlife。Thebannshavealreadybeenpronouncedwhichhaveweddedouryoungfriendstotheprofessionoftheirchoice。Itremainsonlytoaddresstothemsomefriendlywordsofcheeringcounsel,andtobestowuponthemthepartingbenediction。

Thisisnotthetimeforrhetoricaldisplayorambitiouseloquence。

Wemustforgetourselves,andthinkonlyofthem。Tousitisanoccasion;tothemitisanepoch。Thespectatorsattheweddinglookcuriouslyatthebrideandb

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