New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-03
bIDIcISE AND MUSIC.

A. :be recent ssnivenayy dinner OF the Msssschu
sets Medical Society the following handsome trbut'
wa. paid by Dr. J. r. Uphsn, in connection with hi
.nvestgst Of the remarkable csss OF ". Groax by
The Nes,or Of the profession in Boston, Dr.. james
Jackson:
Within he lss. year there came 20 our shores q
German physician, Mr. Grou1. He was an instance Of
apecalisr ma,formafiop. The stsrnum was wanting
Almost entirely its space being covered with the
ntegumcpts only. Most of you have seen him and
know al sbout him. How often, before his has the
pbysioogls: wished ths, the psretes OF the bre
were transparent 80 tha, nc nigh; the actions OF
The several chambers Of The heart This wish no,
gratifed in Mr.. GrouSs case, but there something
Ike IL Al every pulsa'ion of the heart, portion Of
the sos covering over the gap between the rbs was
raised Up, and motions were seen al different points
while the could discover sounds not audible in the
pomal state of ,he psrees OF the horas. What part
Of the heart il which caused the putting up OF the
integumehts, and 10 what were the other phenomena
presented in this case 10 be attributed
These were the questions suggested by the inspection
Of this unique case. For the investigation of L. and
for the solution Of these questions, Mr.. Groux most
kindly offered himsef TO the free examination 0 medi
cal men. BE had already made it his business TO do
this in Europe and he raversed the ocean that we also
of the Western Continent might have an opportunity
of investigating his very extraordinary case. he had
travelled from Moscow to Mairii-he had been seen bv
the most distinguished medical men in all the great
cities in Europe-and he brought to us his album, in
which many of the eminent psychologists of those
cities had written their opinions on his But
though these learned had been able almost to look
into Bis breast they did not find il easy to explain the
phenomena presented 10 them. Most learned and in
genous differed as 10 the parts concerned IN the
motions which they II was left for Yankees to
make guesses and we had begun TO try our hands
about il.
But one of our number, who was not practitioner,
but an amateur physican--one who had begun while
pupil 10 observe the phenomena of diseases for himself
md who from his studies at the bedside in our own
couptry sud in Europe, had made valuable contrbu-
ton 10 our knowledge Of continued fevers-ths gentle
man. thus accusomse 10 ihteuogate nature, oessn 70
think whether there was Ict some language IN when
she might be addressed this occasion, and IN whieh
she might make ineligible replies. ials geu'ieIian
was a Doctor Of Music as well as Of Medicine; OF,
he had not been formally admitted to this rank anong
musicians. he was entitled to claim it. He saw the
difficulty Of determining by sight in regard to two mo-
TORS which was first and which was second or whether
they sypchronous; aud il one followed the other,
at what distance Of time they occurred. These were
points on which former Observers had differed.
Musng on these points, il occurred To him thai II
would be more easy to decide these questions, if the
motions were converted into sounds aud then he asked
himself if this could not be done. Prepared by gen.
ersl acquaintance with eec'ro-magnetism, he sought
aid from that source and did not seek it in vain. BY
the aid of the apparatus in common use he was able TO
convert the motions in the heart into so many icSs
Each of these distinctly heard, and the order OF
Doubt Il then became question what was the time
between two Successive ticks. No common mode oil
measuring the passage Of time could answer TINS ques
tion II was small fraction of second which was to
be measured. Happily, he knew the scientific re-
sources about him. He remembered that at the Astro-
nomical Observatory in Cambridge there was an
apparatus for the measurement OF time, employed in
observations upon the stars; en- apparatus by which
very smal fraction, believe may say the thoasandln
psr Of second, might be noted. lie brought this
apparntus into
Do not understand, Sir that be brought the appara-
tus from the Observatory at Cambridge into Boston,
where Mr. Groux was under examination. Not soi
bnt nv telesraphc wires he connected Mr. Groux with
the Observatory at the distance OF four miles, so tha
the intervals between the motions OF the heart III MI
Grouxs breast were exactly noted ana recorded oy o
friendly philosophers at Cambridge by the same
who were in the habit Of making observations with TIE
same machinery upon the movements OF heavenly
bodies at the distance of millions OF miles,
You see that much aid was afforded 10 our amateur
TO enlist in his service any branch of science Many
thanks to his fellow seekers after truth, lovers o
knowledge, philosophers. Bat 1t was he wao planned
for solving the quesons before him by true and exact
observ atioDs. The great work was his. i do not
consider myself qualified to pass Judgment in this case
are satisfied that he has solved the questions which
others had differed 80 widely doubt not that when
he has brought out his full report, the physologss OF
Europe will also agree that he has been successful and
will be fully ready to give him due honor.
1t will Be a new proof that Yankee doctors do not
always trust 10 guessing, when the means OF demon
stratng the truth within their reach If i belongs
to foreigners to do justice to our friend and brother
who ia n the midst of u.s. it belongs to US surely to DC
as much at least. We need not, however, study
words Of praise for plain statement OF the case il
prase enough. Allow me, however, to ofier you
toast first reminding you that it was his acquaintance
with music which suggested to him the conversion Of
the motions of the heart into sounds;
On Barter Upha~-He hrst invoked music to aid the
other science. In functions Of ths heart
his always normal sounds TO the ears those who
listen TO them and may always continue 70 beat In harmony
with those Of the wise and good"