The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-30

say nothing In this place Of the recent employment
OF anssthetic agents, because shall sllu then
ss they deserve at q later period Of this dis
course Lastly, consider. gentlemen the mme nd
valuable additions which modern chemistry has ma DE-
to the materis medca which un kno wn to our su
csstors and say whether at the present day the sci
ence OF medicine has not attained to height which,
at no previous time it had begun even to aspire
In every part OF the globe where medical science 10
solution Of its mysteries and with more less
The periodical press teens with the innumerabs in
teresing and Important results OF ths- isolated abors
duce from them facts and principles erect theories
and explain phenomena and apply to the calculation
or problems, physiological and pathological aud TO the
treatment and cure Of disease The anatomist aud
psychologist, armed with the seslpe and aided by that
important instrument. whose great yerfectonmsnt in
modern times has contributed and will hereafter con
tribute, SO much to our kno~lekge Of diseases and
healthy struoture-the microscope are busy subiset
ing and tissue to the most rigid
In order to establish the nature of their internal
ture, the very manner even of its derelopement its
anatomical relations and it's ply sologics purposes
Aided by the same high power the pathologst seeks
and In some instances has found in the mnuts
tgaton OF diseased tissue the evidences OF arrange
ment Of component parts, that distinguishes ma
gnaDt from the sim ply abnormal tissue aud detects
amid the rsvages OF disease the secret Of its desru
tive energy ana thence nfers the rationale the
The chemist Is where pied la sub ting to
analysis not only the animal tissues, but their com
ponent parts, and deducng thence equally, the
panstos Of many Of the most interesting IMPORT
ant phenomens OF life and the Of controlling
higher functions II Is not possbl gentlemen TO Ca
innate too highly the claims Of organic chemistry upon
your attention, nor the deep and intimate relations
which 1t bears to the most subtitle phenomena nor
with all its apparent contradictions, shsuld suffer
our confidence to be shaken in its methods OF invei
cation. The truth, however, must sooner or later be
apparent For all It's problems In the last resort
resolved by the baance-thst severe and impartial
instrument, whose introduction into chemical investi
CATION has changed the whole face OF science aud
which appeals to the most unalterabls attribute Of
matter.
To Lavoisier, guided by aud profound thou sht
by the motto, Nothing is lost nothn is created is
owing the Introduction OF this instrument and the
physiological revolution now so happily in progress,
and Of which the future fruits ncslculabls Or
chemistry and structural anatomy are now in.
oissoluby united and function regarded the result
OF their mutual relations.
Nor is the attention which Is paid to the p-acti
cal part Of medicine less rigorous, It's results less
cheering Bringing TO the aid Of most rigid scrutiny
and interrogation Of the rational the stcest expora
ton and the most satisfactory explanation OF the
steal signs and aided By the H. ht which chemistry
nature and locality of disease established with
q certainty to which the ply sicaus OF former ages
were entire strangers aud scientific aud rational ba
sis afforded for the application OF the means Of cure
The true value OF remedies Is tested with 10
tensive series OF symptoms accurately noticed
and compared with the results Of the most critically
conducted autopses results recorded in numerical
succession; and thus fading away, before the u
nnatipg rays of truly scientific rai,o BedenS the in
Vulnerable errors and pref JUDGES of past pircism,
and the Jaago of socaied remedies which, prescribed
according to false and fsncsd theory served but
to delude the physician, when apparently successful
into false conviction of their efficacy TO deceive or
iDjure the patient, and TO discredit the art.
This, gentlemen The only scientific and rational
practice OF legitimate medicine as coutrsstsd WITH em
pricsm routiae Ihs IL Is which truly msrits the
confidence of the publicth t h far rs 1t is yet
tabth he'd, which, thank God you will here be taught
which you will teach aud which, you will practice, des
tined, trust you are, 10 be the pioneers in the
spread OF tru.r pathology more success fu treat
nent higher glory OF divine aud inestimsbls art
Permit me. gentlemen, to survey, briefly aud imper
fectly forinde@d, without NEST extended research
from the beginniog, could only 80 accomplish 1.-THE
present sate Of Of the separate branches into
which the science OF medicine Ia divided, deduced
from the abors Of the Investigators of the past quarter
Of century-a period rich In results, hesitate not
ray hey any that has preceded It, OF which the
beginning is only, and Of which you may, Individually,
augment the amount and Importance 20 your own and
your couDtry's glory, and the good Of humanity
The sciences Of anatomy and physiology, IN their
very nature iDseparsble, how differently are they
studied at the present day. compared with the past
The IL longer The abstract aud dry detail Of
parts and relations does the other consist wholly
In crude and often hypothetical notions OF function,
founded often upon faacous experiment aud incorrect
ideas of structural arrangement without claiming for
the science at the present time any infabiy IT
fiction pretending to assert perfect harmony in
the and deductions Of Its cuitiyaors aud while
in acknowledging that there much that Is dcOrdant
yet be reconcied many errors OF observation Yet Co
be corrected and immense iacna OF kuowle fys to
be supplied, to the eh.etng OF which our present.
means greatly improved aud extended ~ they are,
wholly insufficient, II cannot be denied that the
progress OF these sciences within the last twenty years
has been great. and the basis on which they
pursued that alone which promises success and that
from the vigorous prosecution OF the researches nov
In progress aEd in which it Is gentlemen. your happy
suits are TO be expected
The anatomy Of the day Is textursl-th physiology
chemical; and 10 Is by their combination and modes OF
res,a arch that the nature OF the organs aud OF the
functions which they exercise In the economy, are
being revealed and at every step cause elioted
for wonder at the nricacy and perfection of thu
dsfful mechanism by which organized beings are
created reproduced live, move aud have their being
new motives for for the wisdom aud benih
cence Of the great Author OF Creation.
u is the provinces Of phy.ioiosy, say the able,t
authors Of time to invest gate the ways Ia which
the functions Of living beings are effected; and their
investigation naturally involves the examination Of
their nschanisn Of the chemical constitugn, aud Of
the properties Of their component textures The study
q anatomy must always accompany that OF physiology
The history oi the last shows that u made No advance
until the progress OF anatomical knowledge had un-
folded the Ell 81 the dy There Is 30 much of
Obvious mechanical design in the intricate structure q
the various textures aud organs that the discovery OF
that structure opens the most direct road TO the de-
termination " their uses
correct hysioogy must ever be the foundation of
rational medicne. In medicine the irst step toSards
the cure of disesse II 20 and out what the disease Is
ans where It is situated without knowledge Of the
Offices which various parts fuln ia the animal economy,
our search 20 determine what organ fanctioa Is de-
ranged must be most vague and md Unite.
,,an. ts.t no ra,bStogics doetrines can command
confidence which not fennded upon accurate yess
the natural functions IL IL also certain that i'm
in pathology must follow la the wake Of an
sdvspcirg pbysioloey.
49, then, gentlemen, such are the Inevitable and
indispcnt able necessitythe inestimsbls advantsyes
the deep intsrest-the rich reward, Of devotion
60 Close ana untiriny Investigation Of these mo-
mentous branches, should | not fah In my daty
as your teacher and mouitor, your guide aud
friend, alike to you and my profession, ~ did not
impress upon you with all esrIestnese the duty of
their cult vatiopi Can DO otherwise than coDgrstu-
late you upon ths delightful task that IL la store for
you-ths rich returns which await your zeal aud per-
sev,rsute' Nor are these al the sources oil pleasure
aud instI uction which lie open TO you.
cen briefly allude, only, In this place TO the I'm
por,sEce Of the study Of comparative anatomy Of the
Microscope, and the study " organic chemis;ry In
the living body " cay the eagacious writer's from whom
have borrowed. the oct delicate oheEics processes
unceasiDgly going on, for the formstion 81 new
compounds, aud the destruction alteration ~ old
ones. 10 ~ evident that progress eau be made In
the investigation o. these iavibs sses unless We
arrive al IA exact knowledge OF the chemical con-
petition Of the various substances which employed
In them Henc-f'rvard,n they contnoe-and the
remark T. when, trust viii bias your pursuits
81 control your studies, not only whist nominay
etudent bat, when really students, you enter upon
tn. active duties Of the strdy and practice ~ your
profession for which you are now only laying the
foundation" HeucefUrs ard In ply siologca research
auatomie nj aud chemical analysis must 60 hand In
fapd-the former 60 ascertain the minute mechanism
u the various processes the after TO determine the