River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-02

had put them into the second stage of ac
tirity and excitement. If one of them
he'd kept ii up until the third stage
thas of stupor and profound insensibil-
ity--had been reached, we might per-
haps have made the discovery right
there"
"What country has done the most to-
ward advancing the sciences of medicine
and surgery during the past thirty or
forty yearsf
sIf you limit it to that time should
say that the Germans have done the most.
When first went to Europe for the pur-
pose of study [ visited the principal hos
pitfalls of England and France. Germany
was hardly thought of. Now. however
medical student going to Europe would
not think Of returning without making
observations IN Germany. But not so
many medicat students consider it neces-
ssry to pursue their studies into the old
country as USED to-"
"Why is tbatl Have they better facih-
ties at home shan they used to have9"
ayes. | would not think it was ne
qessary for a! medical student to go to
Europe to finish his education, even if he
were preparing himself as a specialist
in fact, / dent believe that hardly any OF
them would 20 if it were not for the fact
that ocean navigation is now so easy.
The first time that l went 1t tool Us
thirty-tive days to cross the ocean. Now
you step on 4 steamer and in eight days
YOU are landed on the other side"
''But great many American students
DO 90 to Eu!Dpe, do they not, to complete
their studlesg"
Certainly, and principally for the rea-
son that have stated, that they can 40
! ii with so little trouble. But a student
can learn as much here as in Europe.
Take an oeulist, for example. After
studying the whole field over IN this
country he may have desire to visit SIM
liar fields in foreign countries. He goes
aad when he retvrns he feels satisfied !;
but after all he has learned nothing but
what he had learned or, at least, might
have learned at home
"Why do you give the Germans SO
much credit"
Because they have made such great in
designations in chemistry, physiology and
pathology No other people on earth az
at present constituted would have done
ii. The German mind is peculiar. An
enthusiastic. German Investigator is con-
tent to spend his whole life in determin-
ing, for example, the precise dimensions,
anatomy, aud physiology, of the root or
bulb of q human hair. 1t costs them
but little to live, and the more eminent
investigators, are supported, partially at
least oy the government. These me
spend their lives in the great laborato-
ries of Germany, and the amount of knowl-
edge they 1ave contributed &c the human
race is almost incalculable."
"Do thsse investigators practice medi-
clne2"
Oh, NC! AS l have said they spend
their lived either in garrets or government
, supported laboratories"
allow gre the Germans as practihon'
: crsl" /:
as it veil known that as practitioners
they have not become so distinguished
! The GerIssns are pre-eminently theorists
q and il is not surprising that they are 80
t The result is that when German physi
: clan or aitrgeon comes to treat particu-
{ lar ease lie is apt to follow the teachings
! of his master to the letter. This will not
. de, for there can hardly be found two
| cases which require precisely the same
q treatment, For this reason the Ameri
- can, who is naturally ingenious, when hi
a comes tosa case will set to thinking or
his own hook, and will devise some way
= to get successfully through with it
2 Take, t:sr instance, the case of q mar
who has a leg that requires TO be ampu
I tated. The books tell exactly how to dc
= it. But suppose the man has in addition
r | come Ger is,tis constitutional disease Their
: the circumstances are altered entirely
a aud whist he can get from the books may
\ not help him out of it. So, you see thu
= surgeon must always rely mainly upor
y his own knowledge and skill"