The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-10-03

away died an old man, and neither oi
us would have been here to-day. except
\ that we took warning from those who
had gone before MS, aud curtailed
largely our professional labors. Nc
profession so tires the patience OF man,
or brings such sorrowful trials of mind,
or such irksome fatigue of body.
No profession brings with it SO many
dreary, sleepless nights, or days OF
veXatious care and toll. No profession
receives SO few thanks for labors per-
y formed, or benefits bestowed, as that OF
medicine. Still, with all the tolls. with
all the sorrows OF professional life, there
are! bright spots that Hume her
pathway. There are many kind hearts
that meet her with warm tears OF
gratitude for life preserved and health
restored. Such spots are like pleasant
sunshine after long periods OF darkness
and gloom: they cheer us in our anX.
ious watchiugs over the sick, while
fearing lest something had been done
wrong, or that something had been
omitted that might have been useful.
| No profession has the power OF doing
SO much good TO man as the profession
of medicine. Humanity is the broad
4 field III which she is called to labor
every nation, every people, every sect
and every condition of man throughout
the world requires her aid. She comes
to us in the first cries OF helpless in
lhuCH1 Sue hdlCneS over us hS NC hu-
vance from childhood to maturity,
when sick and in distress; she attends
us in the feebleness of declining years,
she sits by aud smooths the pillow in
the dying hour, and leaves us only
when the spirit has gone to its God.
Her origin was with the first all
ments of Adam and Eve after the crea-
| ton, and ever since that time for near
six thousand years, she has been minis
terinY to the sick and the afflicted her
kindly aid and influences, not to one,
not to a few, 6itt to all. a-.-
In society she promotes sympathy
and kind feeling, she enlightens and
elevates the social condition OF moth
ers; she teaches sound doctrine i'll re-
gard to the moral and physical educa-
ton ofchildren; she inculcates the most
| important truths in regard to our phys
ical well-being; she teaches US how 10
| possess and no. TO enjoy the blessings
OF n sound body and u sound mind; she
teaches us further, this great truth, that
the lOweSt in society is u man, tn ut the
higkeSt is nothing more. ...
Take away the profession of medi-
clue, and the whole face of socie ty
would be durkened; the light OF science
would be shorn of one OF its brightest
rays, and imposture, empiricism, and
! fanaticism would loose their most po-
tent check. 80. aa l.l. ...HE
| Ofthe early history of medicine but
little is known; OF medicine before the
flood, no reliable accounts are handed
down TO us, and even for long period
after the Hood but little is recorded that
I is worthy OF note. Some ate mention.
ed us being skilled in medicine, but
we find no reliable history oi
| their medical career. Esculapius was
one of the early physicians OF whom
| favorable mention is made, but the ac-
counts given of him are so much in
volved with fable aud mixed up with
the mythology of the age in which he
lived, that we cannot determine, with
| certainty, his true history. He was a
Greek and lived thirteen centuries be-
| fore the Christian era. Helived before
| the days of letters and of writing-be-
fore the days when knowledge could
be handed down To posterity in any
other way than by tradition, HERO
| gIyphics and such tedious methods
as were used TO preserve history in the
early ages OF the world. Hence the ia
BILE and mythology of the nncients-
hence so little accurate Information in
regard to the early periods of the
wOrld-hence so little progress in
science and literature. If great man
died, his knowledge died with him; the
| generations which followed him did
not receive the benefit of his learning.
EsculapiHs may have been great
man, but we only know that he had n
great name. The tabled history of the
age deilied him and made him a god.
He was recorded AS physician of the
famous expedition OF the Argonauts,
who started out under Jason, 1858
wears before Christ, to recover the
| golden fleece. He was said to be great
| iyhs skilled in the medical uses
| OF plnnts, and WAS called the in
ventor and the god of medicine.
He was represented as wearing long
which was entwined a serpent. In
those days serpents were regarded as
sacred, and looked upon as symbols OF
prudence and forethoupht, Serpents
| were often, used as medicines by the an
cisnt physicians. .7g..
FscnIenius had two sons. celebrated
as.pbVsicinns.w who were SURGEONS in the
oneTof them was SURGEON in the famous
expedition of the great Wooden Horse;
| built by the order of Ulysses and by
treaotery allowed to7 enter the gates oI
ancient Troy, filled with armed men,
| who, iu the night, rushed out, opened
tie gates or the city and conducted in
| the Greek army which put the inhabi-
tants to the sword aud burned the city
| TO ashes. .0aaa-
we cannot learn that Rsculapius
| aid much to ADVANCE the Auience oi
nedicIne1 but his name reiCned su-
nrame soms 500 or 800 wears.
Iwben Hinnocrates. the father of ancient
maSicine came upon the stage. He
tv ss said IN be the eighteenth lifIeal de.
s"aS daTtiof fEscula bins and was born
| IN -fSe TsIaudI of COS. G46O wears before
Christ. He studied medicine with his
GrnnGf,tber Sebris a f1tsfinWnishad
5hnscisn- 0f, th,,I aye Hinnnoeraies
l!l,st ~ Ti,t or ,Is an,t o,,iI 1IIv
aats or natboIogv nf the human body.
~ ~ ,Sa' stud " nf fhSsa scIances vEer a moi