The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-11-04

THx DIS MorsEs yALIxr Wine is publishes
every Monday ri this Office, il one OF the eldest pa
pers in Iowa, and has q widely extended cirruiA-
tian throughout the Dies Moines Valley, Northern
Missouri, and Western Illinois.
Dr. MarsAss Intrsancsery Lecture.
The iatrodustory isctufe q tho opening OF
the winter session Of the Medical University
vas delivered 1t the College building, on
Wednesday evening by DR.. Marsh. His sub
jset was, "To what extent 10 Medicine :
ssisnssfD and hs commenced by abiding TO
late remark Of Sir james Forbes, OF Eng
land, extensively quoted in the papers, to the
effect that medicine WAS not TO be regarded n
a science in the sams sense - the natural
sciences. This he explained by the tendency
among all scientific men, when they have
made any real or supposed new discoveries,
to disparage everything that has gone be-
fore; and nowhere, said he, il this tendency
more manifest than among physicians no
where have theories and systems been more
numerous than in nedicine--esch one built
upon the ruins Of oil others, and each deny
ing the claims of oil that have preceded IL to
the name Of true science. Nevertheless, AZ
such remarks, proceeding, from such .
source, hsve great effect upon the public,
and discouraging elect upon medical stu
dents just 10 proportion to the celebrity Of
authors, it becomes important to vindicate
the clains Of Medicipa in this -esffs=: , saaa at
no time il such yindioation more appropriate
than At the opening Of this course-henos
the subject.
In discussing this subject the lecturer
showed, 6rst, what Science il, and second
ly, that Medicine in aliits departments ans.
wsrs to the dehnition given: Science is sys.
fsnsatissd knoUlsdgs; knowledge is 10.
qusintance with facts, and scientific knowl-
edge is not an accumulation Of isolated facts,
nor 10 it in any sense hypothesis or theory
but systematic classification and arrange.
ment OF observed phsnomsna. Hypothesil
Is not Science, however ingenious or beauti
ful; and here il whore the popular mind il
led astray, and nowhere more sgregiously
than in Medicine. Ii has taken theories OF
attempted explanations OF faots for tru.
Science. The principal difference between
medical systsms consists not in the facts, bu
in the explanation Of them, and in the adap
tation Of treatment to the supposed explana
ton rather than to the facts themselves.
The true methods, and only true method
Of scientific investigation, are observation
and experiment; thus, and thus only, do "
arrive at ioU, which 10 only the statement
universal fact, obtained from the wides
observation possible. This point was incl
illustrated BY Newton's famous discovery 0
the law OF gravitation, the fall Of the appl
being only the starting point of obssrvatiol
and experiment, suggesting q possible la,
bat not establishing il; subsequent expert
ment proved il to be q universal truth.
The lecturer next proceeded to show tina
Medicine answered oil the conditions OF th
definition given, being collection Of sys
temstiEed knowledge, obtained from wild
and long continued observation Of facts il
regard to the nature Of the human body an
organs, or Anatomy, Physiology, the natur
of diseases, or Pathology, the nature q
remedies, or Mstsria Medioa and Chsmistr,
and the effects Of treatment upon diseasel
or Therapeutics the last embodies also I'd
application Of this knowledge to practice
and it 10 here that Medicine becomes also !
Art a. we'll - Science.
Each Of these departments OF Msdicin
are shown to rest upon . strictly scientif
basis-their results having been attained /
all cases by observation and experiment.
Essh Of them ~as yet incomplete, indeed
like eli other sciepoes, but advancing &c
wards perfection. Their facts could not b
denied. Theories about them had been yer
numerous and conflicting, giving rise to Oh
various schools and systems.
And here 10 the difference between lerisi
mate medicine and the various scots OF Re
form. The one never goes beyond facts-
the other presumes upon theories. 1t
found that certain substance has cured ce,
tain diseases once, twice, twenty, hundre
times. Legitimate medicine thence infe,
that it will do it again, and that is a. far .
itgoes. The modus opersndi il regards Z
entirely secondary. What patients want
to be cured; what We want il to cure tn On
How and Why il Of less importance to DO,
parties. But now the question arises,
Medicine be science, Why 80 much unee1
tainty in its results2 Why % often fail
cure2 The answer is to be found not
much 10 the defects Of the science, nor 10
defective application Of Ii. We fail % Artist
from want OF thorough amir at;or 40 .