Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-09-25

life was valued IN proportion to the means
/ of sensual gratification-when the whole
soul was governed BY brute impulse and
brute force. a single star passing through
the vista of mental night bearing upon
its pinions the light Of philosophical na
ture. was hailed as a celestial torch. and
the bearer made the object of dedication
and deyout alteration
1t Is quite true that in the ca " biog-
raphy Of individuals who took upon them
selves the sacred duties of administering
TO the ailments and accidents common to
our frail organization-when legendary
tales and fabulous histories were substi-
tuted in place of authenticated transac-
tons Of mankind, we find so much fiction
interviewer with shreds and patches of
truth. that very little Is known which can
lead to just appreciation of actual pro-
/ tessonal merit Still, beginning with
Esculapius, we find sufficient evidence to
warrant US in tracing a here3itary line of
( distinguished physicians down to four
hundred and sixty years prior to the
/ Christian era, when Hippocrates burst the
spell-bouud chain Of moral and intellectual
degradation and prepared the way for
galaxy of Medical PhlL0S0BkerS. whose
united illuminations have penetrated the
inmo>t recesses of chaotic darkness. shed
forth living glare Of professional light
upon the BEN gatcd and bes0tted wilder
ness Of ignorance which Is. most cmphat-
ically, the hand maid and servant Of bar
barrie despotism, enlightened and fertilized
the human mind for two thousand years.
without cXtiuguishing a single ray Of its
Z gl.trift n cytlapl,y or ..n-.iry-
-ESculapius is said to have been peculi-
arlv favored in his divine origin. and no
less fortunate in receiving the divine in
Structlon Of Chiron His contemporaries
from an earnest conviction Of his skill
and worth, erected temples to his memory
aud decorated them with "votive tablets"
ora which were written the mighty and
mysterious eudowments Of the God Of
Medicine"
We are indebted to Homer's immortal
song in his description Of tie Siege Of
Troy for the exalted professional stand
in- of his two sons. Machaon and Podu-
l.sius and the high estimation in which
their services were held by their compeers
IN arms. Indeed the suuctitY and algHi-
tV of their professions exalted them far
above the c0unsell0rs and commanders of
the Grecian most The safety OF their
I persons was watched with vigilence that
never sleept. and when Machaon received
bat Il slight wound, the whole camp was
thrown into CONSERVATION and dread dis
may But that ! may do no injustice to
the immortal bard who has described the
occurrence. [ will transcribe his own
words whose gifted imaoination has cloth
ed the transaction in q rhapsody Of Ian
Cuagc
The Spouse Of Helen dealing darts around
Had ,i4-,as Nfacb,o, with , distant wound
4. r.,., .r,,.,l.lo- IL. 5,-,-a .,.o ,--o,-a5
,-I.-7f,.- ,.----.
-
''''S -, l'',-'' '',' -'''s''s a''l''' sou
-as~e''i 'i9 1'-'l '-d9le Win speeu away
2 great p s'cl'ir sNlL'so our wounds % neal
lsmore than armies 10 the public veal.
Old Nesior mounts 'Ae seat. beside him rode
The wounded offering Of the healing God.
He ler's tie lash; the stcods with sounding feet
shake the dry field, and thunder towards the feet
Taus ragei both armies like conflicting fires,
While Nes.ors chariot far from fight retires:
lis co,.rsers steeened in sweat and stained in gore
The Greeks ,-aserver great NIacbaon bore
Passing over number Of generations.
we finally arrive at a name resplendeut
with attractive principles Of sound reason.
the deductions of scientific observations
and a profound practical knowledge. In
heriting the blood Of Esculapius from his
father, comningled with the blood of Her
cules bv the lineage of his mother, he be
came trld with spirit Of emulation which
. ,yq.5 os dif,uiG aS the attributaS of Del
tx. as sacred as angels love. and as holy
as tile burning bust" whose celestial re
tectiou caused Moses to unloose his shoes
and give audieuce to his God Not con
tent to tread in the dingy footsteps Of his
cLarlatan predecessors, he made science
the basis OF his observations and explora-
ton. in the grand and sublime field Of ma
ture. His giant mind though denied the