medical essays-第85章
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We must not forget the various medical libraries which preceded this： that of an earlier period； when Boston contained about seventy regular practitioners； the collection afterwards transferred to the Boston Athenaeum； the two collections belonging to the University； the Treadwell Library at the Massachusetts General Hospital； the collections of the two societies； that for Medical Improvement and that for Medical Observation； and more especially the ten thousand volumes relating to medicine belonging to our noble public city library；too many blossoms on the tree of knowledge； perhaps； for the best fruit to ripen。 But the Massachusetts Medical Society now numbers nearly four hundred members in the city of Boston。 The time had arrived for a new and larger movement。 There was needed a place to which every respectable member of the medical profession could obtain easy access； where； under one roof； all might find the special information they were seeking； where the latest medical intelligence should be spread out daily as the shipping news is posted on the bulletins of the exchange； where men engaged in a common pursuit could meet； surrounded by the mute oracles of science and art； where the whole atmosphere should be as full of professional knowledge as the apothecary's shop is of the odor of his medicaments。 This was what the old men longed for；the prophets and kings of the profession； who
〃Desired it long； But died without the sight。〃
This is what the young men and those who worked under their guidance undertook to give us。 And now such a library； such a reading…room； such an exchange； such an intellectual and social meeting place； we be hold a fact； plain before us。 The medical profession of our city； and； let us add； of all those neighboring places which it can reach with its iron arms； is united as never before by the commune vinculum； the common bond of a large； enduring； ennobling； unselfish interest。 It breathes a new air of awakened intelligence。 It marches abreast of the other learned professions； which have long had their extensive and valuable centralized libraries； abreast of them； but not promising to be content with that position。 What glorifies a town like a cathedral？ What dignifies a province like a university？ What illuminates a country like its scholarship； and what is the nest that hatches scholars but a library？
The physician； some may say； is a practical man and has little use for all this book…learning。 Every student has heard Sydenham's reply to Sir Richard Blackmore's question as to what books he should read； meaning medical books。 〃Read Don Quixote；〃 was his famous answer。 But Sydenham himself made medical books and may be presumed to have thought those at least worth reading。 Descartes was asked where was his library； and in reply held up the dissected body of an animal。 But Descartes made books； great books； and a great many of them。 A physician of common sense without erudition is better than a learned one without common sense； but the thorough master of his profession must have learning added to his natural gifts。
It is not necessary to maintain the direct practical utility of all kinds of learning。 Our shelves contain many books which only a certain class of medical scholars will be likely to consult。 There is a dead medical literature； and there is a live one。 The dead is not all ancient； the live is not all modern。 There is none； modern or ancient； which； if it has no living value for the student； will not teach him something by its autopsy。 But it is with the live literature of his profession that the medical practitioner is first of all concerned。
Now there has come a great change in our time over the form in which living thought presents itself。 The first printed books；the incunabula；were inclosed in boards of solid oak； with brazen clasps and corners； the boards by and by were replaced by pasteboard covered with calf or sheepskin； then cloth came in and took the place of leather； then the pasteboard was covered with paper instead of cloth； and at this day the quarterly； the monthly； the weekly periodical in its flimsy unsupported dress of paper； and the daily journal； naked as it came from the womb of the press； hold the larger part of the fresh reading we live upon。 We must have the latest thought in its latest expression； the page must be newly turned like the morning bannock； the pamphlet must be newly opened like the ante…prandial oyster。
Thus a library； to meet the need of our time； must take； and must spread out in a convenient form； a great array of periodicals。 Our active practitioners read these by preference over almost everything else。 Our specialists； more particularly； depend on the month's product； on the yearly crop of new facts； new suggestions； new contrivances； as much as the farmer on the annual yield of his acres。 One of the first wants； then； of the profession is supplied by our library in its great array of periodicals from many lands； in many languages。 Such a number of medical periodicals no private library would have room for； no private person would pay for； or flood his tables with if they were sent him for nothing。 These； I think； with the reports of medical societies and the papers contributed to them； will form the most attractive part of our accumulated medical treasures。 They will be also one of our chief expenses； for these journals must be bound in volumes and they require a great amount of shelf…room； all this； in addition to the cost of subscription for those which are not furnished us gratuitously。
It is true that the value of old scientific periodicals is； other things being equal； in the inverse ratio of their age； for the obvious reason that what is most valuable in the earlier volumes of a series is drained off into the standard works with which the intelligent practitioner is supposed to be familiar。 But no extended record of facts grows too old to be useful； provided only that we have a ready and sure way of getting at the particular fact or facts we are in search of。
And this leads me to speak of what I conceive to be one of the principal tasks to be performed by the present and the coming generation of scholars； not only in the medical； but in every department of knowledge。 I mean the formation of indexes； and more especially of indexes to periodical literature。
This idea has long been working in the minds of scholars； and all who have had occasion to follow out any special subject。 I have a right to speak of it； for I long ago attempted to supply the want of indexes in some small measure for my own need。 I had a very complete set of the 〃American Journal of the Medical Sciences；〃 an entire set of the 〃North American Review；〃 and many volumes of the reprints of the three leading British quarterlies。 Of what use were they to me without general indexes？ I looked them all through carefully and made classified lists of all the articles I thought I should most care to read。 But they soon outgrew my lists。 The 〃North American Review 〃 kept filling up shelf after shelf； rich in articles which I often wanted to consult； but what a labor to find them； until the index of Mr。 Gushing； published a few months since； made the contents of these hundred and twenty volumes as easily accessible as the words in a dictionary！ I had a； copy of good Dr。 Abraham Rees's Cyclopaedia； a treasure…house to my boyhood which has not lost its value for me in later years。 But where to look for what I wanted？ I wished to know； for instance； what Dr。 Burney had to say about singing。 Who would have looked for it under the Italian word cantare？ I was curious to learn something of the etchings of Rembrandt； and where should I find it but under the head 〃Low Countries； Engravers of the；〃an elaborate and most valuable article of a hundred double…columned close…printed quarto pages； to which no reference； even； is made under the title Rembrandt。
There was nothing to be done； if I wanted to know where that which I specially cared for was to be found in my Rees's Cyclopaedia； but to look over every page of its forty…one quarto volumes and make out a brief list of matters of interest which I could not find by
