The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-10
THE SCIENCE OF MEDICINE.
SOME OF THE OBLIGATIONS WHICH ARE
IMPOSED UPON THE MEDICAL
PROFESSION.

PROFESSION.
An Eloquent Address Before the Med
icaI College of Charleston, by Rev.
W.. M. Grier, d. d., President OF
Erskine College.
Lord Bacon in his "Maxims of the Law
wrote: ~ hold every man to be debtor 10
his profession; from the which, as men OF
course do seek to receive countenancc ana pro-
tit, so ought they of duty to endcavor them
selves, by way Of amends, to be help ana Or
aament thereunto." In accordance with TINS
maxim the physical should SchellSn an non, n
honor it, to elevate it in the mental scale, 10
add to its scientific advancement, ana 10 give
to it his best powers OF mind ana hcart. ~
is something to have chosen pro1esSlcn-t0
have come out OF the perpieXlty of DOUBT ana
indecision into the clear light of fixed, set
tied purpose. One of the graveSt questions
that conironts young man when ne assumes @
the responsibilities Of citizenshipis what am
to do? What is the special work in when l
am 10 engage? Upon what pursuit am to en-
pend the energies of my nature IN the years
that are to come? Whether he appreciates 1t
or not it is a solemn moment when he gives a
final answer to such questions. That answer
concentrates upon single object, the desire,
the hopes and efforts Of a lifetime. 1t sum-
mons eye:y endowment, and every attain.
ment to u steady, earnest, ana resolutc acuFl'
ty.
It is then something to stand pledged, by ev-
cry worthy consideration, whether 0i duty or
a noble ambition, to Il lift-work. This pledge
YOU have made. Whatever may nave oecl
the influences which affected and decided
your choice, whether it was your nome sur,
roundlngs, your education, or some accidental
circumstance, las some call it, Il deeper thought
might reveal it as a Providential indication,)
the fact, the impo, tant fact, is that you nave
entered upon service which has bat one dis
charge. all other worldly plans and schemes
are to be subordinate to your professional
claims. "
Nav venture to hint at some of those obli-
cations which your profession imposes upon
you and which attach to it in all clrcumstan-
ces?
~ THIS OBLIGATION BINDS YOU TO THE
LIFE OF A STUDENT.
This is true and, believe I will say
rs true, of the country AS the city doctor. The
science of medicine in its essential features,
without any reference to special forms OF dis,
ease, involves some Of the profoundest ana
subtleSt questions Of matter, force arid lie
The very term "physician," of Greek deriva::
ton; signifies primarily physicist. And
while the word has undergone marked pro
cess of specialization 1t still holds It's root IDEA,
and points Enthusiastically and imperatiVely TO
q study OF natures laws, both in their free
and normal operation and in their disturbed
and perverted action. 1t is one thing TO know
when complicated machine is out OF fix; 1t
is another thing to know in what the derarge-
ment consists and it is still u higher reach to
suggest and apply remedy. Does the science
of astronomy, seem to you to demand the eX-
ercse of the highest intellectual power with
its bewilderiny immensitieS, its countless
numbers, its endlesSly complex and incon-
ceivably rapid motions? Let 1t be remember
ed that this science Is to-day TAR more perfect
about the distance of the planets or the time
Of'an eclipse, and yet where is the physician
who feels perfectly sure Of the effects OF a Ger
tain dose of medicine? What subtle actions
and reactions are here 20 be measured! Where
is the telescope to discover and the SeNtant to
measure the influences Of temper and temper
a1nent of Il past lifetime of habit with its he
reditary predispositions? Who can limit and
mark out the points of contact between phys
iology and psychology?
II is worse tnan folly to suppose that a few
bottles labelled with mysterious symbols, 4
pair of saddle-bags and roadcart make up
the full equipment of one with whom. in no
mean sense. are the issues Of life and death.
While no one has ever yet mastered his pro-
fesson, it has been abundantly demonstrated
in all the professions that the students are the
permanently successful men. The studiOuS
minister outlasts. the popular one. The temp,
tltlons to an eaSS-gOing indoenre will need
TO be steadily resisted. Your knowledge of
many things of which your neignbors are ig-
norant, especially as that knowledge robes it.
self in the technicaliteS of q deau language,
will give you some pre-eminence which you
may prefer laZily to enjoy rather than de-
serve. There is an ancien, parable which has
its lesson for the old as well as the young: "a
certain King instructed his son in the art of
governing men. The great art he said, is to
make the people believe that the King knows
more than his subjects. But, how, asked the
son, shall he make men believe this? The
King answered. and it was worthy of King,
by knowing more.
You will possess the abiding confidence of
the community by a growing acquaintance
with the principles and practice OF the noble
profession on which you have entered. We
need not be told that quackS and impostOrs
have easily acquired fame and fortune-that
imDu1cnpp
Outstripped genuine merit. But because an
idle sQuatter Stumhles on pocket Of gold, is
that any reason why the miner should lay
down his pick and shovel? Because human
credulity, nourished and fed by the eXtrcmi-
ties OF human suffering, swallows annually
some worthless nOstrum by the barrel, and by
the hogshead, is that any reason why the in
telligent family physician. the mnistcring
angel when pain and anguish wiring the brow,
should cease his careful, labOriOuS and selt-de-
,nying Investigation of the cause, the nature;
The triumphs OF medical science, like those
in other departments. have been won by the
patient investigators. These are they who
challenge the admiration of all ages and who
are recognized as the teneactorS of the race.
ServetuS Is best known as Il tbe0logian and as
a martyr to his religious convictions. But let
me give you Il bit of his history which Illus
trates his character as marvellous student.
! auOte in substance from medical authOrl-
ty: "In the Royal Library of France is a little
book. still preserved wi tn religious care, dis
posing title Of the Restitution OF Christiani-
ty.' It was rescued from the person OF Serve
tus after the flames had been kindlcd. The
author, in the investigation of certain allu-
.sonS in regard 10 the blood and the life spOi-
en of in Genesis, sets about explaining, in q
mystical way, how the soul was formed from
the blood, thus discovering in a marked de-
gree his materialiStic tendencies. But curious
rs his yugarieS were he established two extra
ordinary iacts the pulmOnlc or lesser clrcul;-
Lion and the true function OF the lungs, that
of changing the character OF the blood Ser
NetuS, the theooyan, expired in the flames
which consumed his body. but ServctuS, the
-discoverer of the pulmonary circulation, will
1ive through all.time.'
Indeed not describe the consecutive stcps..by
which the grand result was reached by Har-
vey OF Il full and complete demonstration OF
the circulation of the blood. In the history OF
that single discovery, constituting" such an
epoch in the science of Medicine, there is com
pretended every element OF success IN your
profession. What patience Of details, what
careful induction, what prompt generaliz;t-
ton. what unfailing hope and untiagging ef.
fort under appalling difficulties and failures,
and what courageous resistance to the bias OF
received dogma and prescriptive opinion 1t
is In trumphS like these that we arknow ledge
the value OF study and bow before the i'm peri
al power of hard work. 1t is the high privi-
legc of very few to make such important con-
tributionS to their profession as Harvey, but
TO offer single helpful suggestion is IL worthy
ambition. ~
knowledge of your profession that you will
keep alive your interest in 1t or create an ell
thuSiasm tor it. AS you stand In the reSuoulc
of the fair temple and look from Wlinin e the
whole effect is to bewiider. There seems
much that is beautiful, but the apparent lack
or harmony anu unity spolls your pleasure.
But every step you take within The vast audi
torium reveals your total misconcept1on ot
the grand design. The longer you look your
wonder and admiration become more pro-