The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-01


had put them into the second stage of ac-
tivity and excitement. If one Of them
had kept it up until the third stage
that Of stupor and profound insensibil-
ity-had been reached, we might per-
haps have made the discovery right
there's a 8 ai
..sWhat country has done the most to-
ward advancing the sciences of medicine
and surgery during the past thirty or
forty yearsg a4
IF 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 a
medical student going to Europe would
not think of returning without making
observations in Germany. But not 80
many medical students consider it neces-
ssry to pursue their studies into the old
country as used to- at@ z4.s
"Why is that9 Have they better facili-
ties at home than they used to have?'
"Yes. would not think it was ne
cessary for medical student to 90 to
Europe to finish his education, even if he
were preparing himself as specialist
IN fact. don't believe that hardly any of
them would go if it were not for the fact
that ocean navigation is now so easy.
The first time that l went 1t took us
thlrty-tive days to CROSS the ocean, Now
you step on steamer and in eight DAYS
you are landed on the other side.''
"But great many American students
90 90 to Europe, do they not, to complete
their studies2" ...'.-.
Certainly, and principally for the rea-
son that I have stated, that they can do
it with so little trouble. But a student
can learn as much here as in Europe.
Take an oculist, 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
vestigations in chemistry, physiology ane
pathology. No other people on earth as
it. 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, and physiology, of the root or
bulb of human hair. 1t costs them
but little to live, and the more eminent
investigators, are supported, partially at
least oy fhe government. These men
spend their lives in the great laborato-
ries of Germany, and the amount of knowl-
edge they have contributed tc the human
race is almost incalculable."
"Do these investigators practice medi-
clne?"
oh, no! As I have said they spend
their lives either in garrets or government
supported laboratories
GLOW are the Germans as practitlon-
ers?"
Ills it we'll known that as practitioners
they have not become so distinguished.
The Germans are -eminently theorists,
and it is not surprising that they are So
The result is that when a German physi-
clan or surgeon comes to treat a particu-
lar ease he 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
treatment. For this reason the Ameri-
can, who is naturally ingenious, when he
comes to case will set to thinking on
his own hook, and will devise some way
to get successfully through with it.
Take, for instance, the case of a man
who has leg that requires to be ampu-
tated. The books tell exactly how to do
it. But suppose the man has in addition
some serious constitutional disease. Then
the circumstances are altered entirely,
aud what he can get from the books may
not help him out Of it. So, you see the
surgeon must always rely mainly upon
his own knowledge and skill"