The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-05
COMPARES ONs ARE NOT
ALWAYS ODIOUs.

OF all, especially when the handspring of this
prosperity consists in simple adherence to
single purpose, or the faithful, earnest, untiring
pursuit of single grand object. In the field of
medicine this is particularly the case. The
records of the profession are filed with notable
instances where this singleness of purpose has
in the end borne the richest and rarest fruit.
The case of William Harvey, the eminent Eng
lish physician of the seventeenth century, is
among the most remarkable of these. In tho
year 1919, while engaged in the discharge of his
duties as lecturer on anatomy and surgery in the
College of Physicians at London, he made q
discovery which in time quite revolutionized the
entire fabric which had been built up by the de-
votees of the art of healing At this early period,
he became conscious of having detected the true
theory of the circulation of the blood but
it was not until 1929 nine years later
that he gave to the world the treatise
which set forth this theory in all its compl-
Gated details. The years intervening between
the actual discovery and its first public an
nouncement were devoted to the most careful
and anxious study and experimenting, in order
to enable him to place his wonderful discovery
upon a basis that would defy the assaults of the
learned and the ridicule of the ignorant. When
at last his opinions were given to the world
they were so thoroughly fortified on all sides that
to this day no material additional light has been
thrown upon this special subject. But the world
of the seventeenth century was as slow to recog
nize and accept such discovery rs it has always
been found, both before and since, in cases of a
similar character. For many years the dis
coverer of the circulation of the blood
fully experienced the effects of his inno-
vations. No sooner was his theory an
nounced than his practice fell off perceptibly,
and it was long time before he fully regained
the confidence which he had previously enjoyed.
Men, learned and unlearned in medicine, re-
garded him as an empiric, dispenser of nos
trums which carried death to those who partook
of them. 1t was not credible that all the learn
ing and experiments of centuries could have
been so imperfect and short-sighted as to pass
by anything so palpable as the circulation of the
blood, if such a thing were possible in the eco
nomy of nature. The older members of the
profession, especially-those who had been
driving along in well-defned ruts for years
could not and would not be made to comprehend
either the possibility or the actual existence of
a principle which had been in action
under their eyes during the whole of
their professional careers, and yet had
entirely escaped their closest observation and
ever-ready scrutiny. But the great discoverer
lived long enough to witness his own unquali-
fed triumph, and before his labors closed en-
joyed the satisfaction of seeing all of his assail
ants discounted by the irresistible logic of facts.
The principle of the circulation of blood in all
members of the animal kingdom was accepted
fully by the world, and became thenceforth the
groundwork of the healing art. holding in obe-
dience to it all the appliances of treatment and
cure. Singleness of purpose, devotion to the
truths of science, fearless advocacy of the incon
trovertible principles of nature triumphed over
ignorance and prejudice, and gained for Harvey
place second to none in the annals of his chosen
profession
The history of Edward Jenner the discoverer
of vaccination is equally instructive. While
still an apprentice to physician, his attention
had been called to the subject Of the prevention
of smallpox. A young country girl who had
applied to his master and instructor for medical
advice incidentally remarked, in his hearing,
that she could not take the smallpox because
she had already had the cowpox. The old
fashioned surgeon paid no heed to this passing
observation He had devoted a lifetime to the
study of the science, and had found no autho-
rity for such a notion in the books or in his own
experience. The young student however,
dwelt upon the fugitive words of the girl and
was so impressed with the importance of
the subject that he at once entered
upon its investigation. Dilgent inquiry
among the laboring people OF the country
showed him that persons engaged in the milking
of the cows were frequently afflicted with a mild
eruptive disease which, as they rightly supposed
was communicated from the cattle. This was
not ALL however. He found that there prevailed
belief that person who had thus taken this
mild form of the cowpoX was proof against the
ravages of one of the most loathsome and fatal
scourges of the human race. Bending all his
energies upon these facts, he deduced from them
the following theory:-Half a century previously
the system of inoculation for the smallpox had
been introduced the disease when thus impaired
being much less virulent than when contracted
in the ordinary way. If the cOwpox were to be
introduced into the system by incubation, it
would also prove less virulent than the casual
complaint and yet would retain its protecting
and preventative power. Years of careful study
and experimenting were devoted to the subject,
and at last he was prepared TO announce his
theories to the world as established facts. A
sturdy opposition as was to have been antici-
pated, was encountered by him, and some years
elapsed before the profession and the world at
large would acknowledge the correctness of his
views. But his final triumph was as complete
as had been that of his predecessor, and at diff
ferent times before his death he received about
$15O, 900 by grant from the British Parliament
in acknowledgment of his services TO the world
and as compensation for his Outlays and sacr
fees.
In our own city we are, happily, able to cite
a case which presents the same instructive fea
lures as these which we have already cited
Thirty years ago, DR.. j. II. schenck, who hat
.l,n hxyf 1.