下载辰思小说免费APP
Agreatportionofthebestwritingandreadingliterary，scientific，professional，miscellaneous——comestousnow，atstatedintervals，inpapercovers。Thewriterappears，asitwere，inhisshirt-sleeves。
Assoonashehasdeliveredhismessagethebook-binderputsacoatonhisback，andhejoinstheforlornbrotherhoodof“backvolumes，“
thanwhich，solongastheyareunindexed，nothingcanbemoreexasperating。Whowantsalockwithoutakey，ashipwithoutarudder，abinnaclewithoutacompass，acheckwithoutasignature，agreenbackwithoutagoldbackbehindit？
Ihavereferredchieflytothemedicaljournals，butIwouldincludewiththesethereportsofmedicalassociations，andthoseseparatepublicationswhich，comingintheformofpamphlets，heapthemselvesintochaoticpilesandbundleswhichareworsethanuseless，takingupagreatdealofroom，andfrighteningeverythingawaybutmiceandmousingantiquarians，orpossiblyatlongintervalssometerebratingspecialist。
Arranged，bound，indexed，alltheseatoncebecomeaccessibleandvaluable。Iwilltakethefirstinstancewhichhappenstosuggestitself。HowmanywhoknowallaboutosteoblastsandtheexperimentsofOllier，andallthathasgrownoutofthem，knowwheretogoforapaperbythelateDr。A。L。PeirsonofSalem，publishedintheyear1840，underthemodesttitle，RemarksonFractures？Andifanypractitionerwhohastodealwithbrokenbonesdoesnotknowthatmostexcellentandpracticalessay，itisagreatpity，foritanswersverynumerousquestionswhichwillbesuretosuggestthemselvestothesurgeonandthepatientasnooneoftherecenttreatises，onmyownshelves，atleast，cando。
Butifindexingisthespecialneedofourtimeinmedicalliterature，asineverydepartmentofknowledge，itmustberememberedthatitisnotonlyanimmenselabor，butonethatneverends。Itrequires，therefore，thecooperationofalargenumberofindividualstodothework，andalargeamountofmoneytopayformakingitsresultspublicthroughthepress。WhenitisrememberedthatthecatalogueofthelibraryoftheBritishMuseumiscontainedinnearlythreethousandlargefoliosofmanuscript，andnotallitsbooksareyetincluded，thetaskofindexinganyconsiderablebranchofscienceorliteraturelooksasifitwerewellnighimpossible。
Butmanyhandsmakelightwork。An“IndexSociety“hasbeenformedinEngland，alreadynumberingaboutonehundredandseventymembers。
Itaimsat“supplyingthoroughindexestovaluableworksandcollectionswhichhavehithertolackedthem；atissuingindexestotheliteratureofspecialsubjects；andatgatheringmaterialsforageneralreferenceindex。“Thissocietyhaspublishedalittletreatisesettingforththehistoryandtheartofindexing，whichI
trustisinthehandsofsomeofourmembers，ifnotuponourshelves。
Somethinghasbeendoneinthesamedirectionbyindividualsinourowncountry，aswehavealreadyseen。Theneedofitinthedepartmentofmedicineisbeginningtobeclearlyfelt。Ourlibraryhasalreadyanadmirablecataloguewithcrossreferences，theworkofanumberofitsyoungermemberscooperatinginthetask。Averyintelligentmedicalstudent，Mr。WilliamD。Chapin，whoseexcellentprojectisindorsedbywell-knownNewYorkphysiciansandprofessors，proposestopublishayearlyindextooriginalcommunicationsinthemedicaljournalsoftheUnitedStates，classifiedbyauthorsandsubjects。ButitisfromtheNationalMedicalLibraryatWashingtonthatwehavethebestpromiseandthelargestexpectations。Thatgreatandgrowingcollectionoffiftythousandvolumesisundertheeyeandhandofalibrarianwhoknowsbooksandhowtomanagethem。
Forlibrariesarethestandingarmiesofcivilization，andanarmyisbutamobwithoutageneralwhocanorganizeandmarshalitsoastomakeiteffective。The“SpecimenFasciculusofaCatalogueoftheNationalMedicalLibrary，“preparedunderthedirectionofDr。
Billings，thelibrarian，wouldhaveexcitedtheadmirationofHaller，themasterscholarinmedicalscienceofthelastcentury，orratheroftheprofessioninallcenturies，andifcarriedoutasitisbegunwillbetothenineteenthallandmorethanallthatthethreeBibliothecae——Anatomica，Chirurgica，andMedicinae-Practicae——weretotheeighteenthcentury。IcannotforgetthestorythatAgassizwassofondoftellingofthekingofPrussiaandFichte。ItwasafterthehumiliationandspoliationofthekingdombyNapoleonthatthemonarchaskedthephilosopherwhatcouldbedonetoregainthelostpositionofthenation。“Foundagreatuniversity，Sire，“wastheanswer，andsoitwasthatintheyear1810theworld-renownedUniversityofBerlincameintobeing。Ibelievethatweinthiscountrycandobetterthanfoundanationaluniversity，whoseprofessorsshallbenominatedincaucuses，goinandout，perhaps，likepostmasters，witheverychangeofadministration，anddealwithscienceinthefaceoftheirconstituencyasthecourtierdidwithtimewhenhissovereignaskedhimwhato’clockitwas：“Whateverhouryourmajestypleases。“ButwhenwehaveanoblelibrarylikethatatWashington，andalibrarianofexceptionalqualificationslikethegentlemanwhonowholdsthatoffice，IbelievethataliberalappropriationbyCongresstocarryoutaconscientiousworkfortheadvancementofsoundknowledgeandthebetteringofhumanconditions，likethiswhichDr。Billingshassowellbegun，wouldredoundgreatlytothehonorofthenation。Itoughttobewillingtobeatsomechargetomakeitstreasuresusefultoitscitize
后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节
