medical essays-第40章
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ating anatomy and physiology； among his manifold spoils of study； marched abreast of his royal pupil to wider conquests。 Under the same Ptolemies who founded the Alexandrian Library and Museum； and ordered the Septuagint version of the Hebrew Scriptures； the infallible Herophilus ＇〃Contradicere Herophilo in anatomicis； est contradicere evangelium；〃 was a saying of Fallopius。＇ made those six hundred dissections of which Tertullian accused him； and the sagacious Erasistratus introduced his mild antiphlogistic treatment in opposition to the polypharmacy and antidotal practice of his time。 It is significant that the large…minded Galen should have been the physician and friend of the imperial philosopher Marcus Aurelius。 The Arabs gave laws in various branches of knowledge to those whom their arms had invaded； or the terror of their spreading dominion had reached； and the point from which they started was； as Humboldt acknowledges； 〃the study of medicine； by which they long ruled the Christian Schools；〃 and to which they added the department of chemical pharmacy。
Look at Vesalius； the contemporary of Luther。 Who can fail to see one common spirit in the radical ecclesiastic and the reforming court…physician？ Both still to some extent under the dominion of the letter： Luther holding to the real presence； Vesalius actually causing to be drawn and engraved two muscles which he knew were not found in the human subject； because they had been described by Galen； from dissections of the lower animals。 Both breaking through old traditions in the search of truth； one； knife in hand； at the risk of life and reputation； the other at the risk of fire and fagot； with that mightier weapon which all the devils could not silence； though they had been thicker than the tiles on the house…tops。 How much the physician of the Catholic Charles V。 had in common with the great religious destructive； may be guessed by the relish with which he tells the story how certain Pavian students exhumed the body of an 〃elegans scortum；〃 or lovely dame of ill repute； the favorite of a monk of the order of St。 Anthony； who does not seem to have resisted temptation so well as the founder of his order。 We have always ranked the physician Rabelais among the early reformers； but I do not know that Vesalius has ever been thanked for his hit at the morals of the religious orders； or for turning to the good of science what was intended for the 〃benefit of clergy。〃
Our unfortunate medical brother； Michael Servetus； the spiritual patient to whom the theological moxa was applied over the entire surface for the cure of his heresy； came very near anticipating Harvey。 The same quickened thought of the time which led him to dispute the dogma of the Church； opened his mind to the facts which contradicted the dogmas of the Faculty。
Harvey himself was but the posthumous child of the great Elizabethan period。 Bacon was at once his teacher and his patient。 The founder of the new inductive philosophy had only been dead two years when the treatise on the Circulation； the first…fruit of the Restoration of Science； was given to the world。
And is it to be looked at as a mere accidental coincidence； that while Napoleon was modernizing the political world； Bichat was revolutionizing the science of life and the art that is based upon it； that while the young general was scaling the Alps； the young surgeon was climbing the steeper summits of unexplored nature； that the same year read the announcement of those admirable 〃Researches on Life and Death；〃 and the bulletins of the battle of Marengo？
If we come to our own country； who can fail to recognize that Benjamin Rush； the most conspicuous of American physicians； was the intellectual offspring of the movement which produced the Revolution？ 〃The same hand；〃 says one of his biographers；〃 which subscribed the declaration of the political independence of these States； accomplished their emancipation from medical systems formed in foreign countries； and wholly unsuitable to the state of diseases in America。〃
Following this general course of remark； I propose to indicate in a few words the direction of the main intellectual current of the time； and to point out more particularly some of the eddies which tend to keep the science and art of medicine from moving with it； or even to carry them backwards。
The two dominant words of our time are law and average； both pointing to the uniformity of the order of being in which we live。 Statistics have tabulated everything；population； growth； wealth； crime； disease。 We have shaded maps showing the geographical distribution of larceny and suicide。 Analysis and classification have been at work upon all tangible and visible objects。 The Positive Philosophy of Comte has only given expression to the observing and computing mind of the nineteenth century。
In the mean time； the great stronghold of intellectual conservatism； traditional belief； has been assailed by facts which would have been indicted as blasphemy but a few generations ago。 Those new tables of the law； placed in the hands of the geologist by the same living God who spoke from Sinai to the Israelites of old； have remodelled the beliefs of half the civilized world。 The solemn scepticism of science has replaced the sneering doubts of witty philosophers。 The more positive knowledge we gain； the more we incline to question all that has been received without absolute proof。
As a matter of course； this movement has its partial reactions。 The province of faith is claimed as a port free of entry to unsupported individual convictions。 The tendency to question is met by the unanalyzing instinct of reverence。 The old church calls back its frightened truants。 Some who have lost their hereditary religious belief find a resource in the revelations of Spiritualism。 By a parallel movement； some of those who have become medical infidels pass over to the mystic band of believers in the fancied miracles of Homoeopathy。
Under these influences transmitted to； or at least shared by； the medical profession； the old question between 〃Nature；〃 so called； and 〃Art；〃 or professional tradition； has reappeared with new interest。 I say the old question； for Hippocrates stated the case on the side of 〃Nature〃 more than two thousand years ago。 Miss Florence Nightingale；and if I name her next to the august Father of the Healing Art； its noblest daughter well deserves that place of honor； Miss Florence Nightingale begins her late volume with a paraphrase of his statement。 But from a very early time to this there has always been a strong party against 〃Nature。〃 Themison called the practice of Hippocrates 〃a meditation upon death。〃 Dr。 Rush says： 〃It is impossible to calculate the mischief which Hippocrates； has done； by first marking Nature with his name and afterwards letting her loose upon sick people。 Millions have perished by her hands in all ages and countries。〃 Sir John Forbes； whose defence of 〃Nature〃 in disease you all know； and to the testimonial in whose honor four of your Presidents have contributed； has been recently greeted； on retiring from the profession； with a wish that his retirement had been twenty years sooner； and the opinion that no man had done so much to destroy the confidence of the public in the medical profession。
In this Society we have had the Hippocratic and the Themisonic side fairly represented。 The treatise of one of your early Presidents on the Mercurial Treatment is familiar to my older listeners。 Others who have held the same office have been noted for the boldness of their practice； and even for partiality to the use of complex medication。
On the side of 〃Nature〃 we have had； first of all； that remarkable discourse on Self…Limited Diseases； ＇On Self…Limited Diseases。 A Discourse delivered before the Massachusetts Medical Society； at their Annual Meeting； May 27； 1835。 By Jacob Bigelow； M。 D。＇ which has given the key…note to the prevailing medical tendency of this neighborhood； at least； for the quarter of a century since it was delivered。 Nor have we forgotten the address delivered at Springfield twenty years later； ＇Search out the Secrets； of Nature。 By Augustus A。 Gould； M。 D。 Read at the
