National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-10-09

Chauiac are OF this period. This period
was also distinguished by its publications
OF case reports In the fourteenth century.
AT the revival OF learning many learned
men devoted themselves TO the study
OF the ancient medical classics, and
as there was then Juror against
everything Arabic, the Saracenic in.
nuence waned,, aud Greek medicine
gained the ascendaucy. There was in Ger.
many one brake on the wheel Of medical
progress, the arch quack Paracelsus, who
burnt the books Of Avlcenua and Galen,
aud said his shoe buckles were more learned
than they. He did h I'VE some respect for Hip.
pocrates and wrote n commentary on his
works As Paracelsus was an example to
avoid shall not dwell on this topic, but
ne was largely instrumental In bringing up
the Influence OF chemistry, so that he did
some good after all. One cause OF the al
vancement OF medicine 10 this period was
the rise and spread Of many epidemic
diseases apparently unknown TO the an
clients, aud which the Galenical remedies
were powerless to cure. The "sweating
sickness" the "black death, land "dancing
mania" are examples OF these cpl
denies, OF which you will find
full account In Hecker. One other
cine at this period Is found iu the establish.
ment OF the hospitals that were made ne
cessary by the contemporary wars. Padua
led In establishing clinical instruction.
IL was In the seventeenth century that the
Iatro- physical school was started 10 Naples
by Borelli, and the Iatro chemical school
by Sylvius. The former held that all pro.
cesses OF the body were TO be explained by
mechanics, the bones and muscles we're so
many levers aud pulleys, digestion was
simply q trituration, while the latter held
that all changes and acts we're due to chem.
ical forces, and that chemical disturbances
OF physiological processes constituted dis.
ease. The discovery OF the circulation OF
the blood was the turning point In the
study OF physiology, and In fact the key
that unlocked many human mysteries.
Early In the eighteenth century its most
industrious Psychologist was born, the cele-
brated Haller. lie graduated in medicine
at Leyden In 1126, and after three years,
travel In foreign countries founded an
anatomy school at Berne. 1t was there that
he wrote the celebrated "Icoues Anatoni-
ca" and come 1900 reviews for scien-
tifc Journal at Gottingen. His was a
prodiRious activity, and he, by his labors,
clearly established the right to be called the
father OF modern physiology.
And now we have glanced at the medical
history from the earliest times down to the
eighteenth century, aud the hour has waned.
II ie your privilege 10 continue it's study at
the point where have left It, for your text
books will all contain references to the
modern discoveries. The future is In your
hands, aud whether you will belong to TIE
scholar class Of physicians, or those who
simply float on the current, depends on
your employment OF your time, and we,
the faculty. hope In this that you may be
guided Alright, so that when you leave us
you may often feel the happiness of dis.
covering motion returning to the muscles
OF one apparently 1ead, thus experiencing
the rapture OF Pygmallon perceivlng the
marble becoming animated under the touch
OF his chisel. May you young gentlemen
be not only successful In study, but seek to
add to the general stock Of human knowl-
edge for the benefit Of mankind.