Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-03
AN AUSPICIOUS OPENING.
Of the Toledo Medical College Sny-
opsis Of DR.. Robinson's Address.

college began Its new year under
the most favorable auspices. DR..
Glllette's remarkably interesting
address, of which a brief synopsis
was given, was received with great
enthusiasm, as was also the address
Of DR., Robinson, a recent addition
TO the medical fraternity of Toledo.
Lack of space yesterday prevented
the publication of the following
synopsis of DR.. Robinson's able
address:
We live in an era of progress.
The signs Of progress are the
changing of questions and the
shifting of grounds. Old questions
are put in new forms, old grounds
are defended on new principles.
The progressive tendency pervades
every department of life, its mater
ial development, its spiritual
convictions and its theories. But
in what does this progress consist?
In more material development and
results of abstract thoughc. In
increase Of products or population.
Progress comprehends all this in
infinitely more. Because progress
is shifting and indefinite, mans
conception of it is often partial and
and indistinct, but the essential
idea underlying all progress is
individual liberty. There is pro-
gress when the slave is liberated
from his bondage. When the
inquisition is condemned as an
instrument of tortue, when the
priest ceases to be the sole inter
prefer between God and man.
The advancement Of every age is
marked by some distinguishing
characteristic. It is the peculiar
ity Of the progress of the 10TH
century that it boldly and clearly
distinguishes between truth and
error. 1t tolerates no man with
truth in one hand and falehood in
the other. To-day doctrines, which
but yesterday were thought TO be
established in wisdom are being
weighed and found wanting.
So far nothing has been said Of
the individual in the progress of
medicine; but what can not be
said of that science which has
been born anew in our own day,
that science which has been
baptised anew at the fountain of
microscopic investigation? 1t is
in medicine where a few individ-
uals have been the handspring and
landmarks of progress.
liippocrates, Galen, Ambose,
Pare, Harvey, Hunter, Lister,
Mcdowell and Koch have been
individuals who have represented
eras in the world Of medicine.
The rapide strides of medicine
have only a parallel in the quick
SUGGESTIONS Of improvements in
lightning. The tallow candle, the
kerosene lamps, the gas are all
swept away by the brilliant electric
light. The advancement of
present medicine over the past is
beyond all question. No one will
deny the beneficial effect produced
on the world by increased knowl-
edge and research. Investigate
where we will, the facts are indis-
putable that the field Of surgery
has increased its means of saving
life, that sanitary medicine has
checked the wider sweeps of
pestilence and narrowed the tract
of disease. This age studies the
ravages of disease from the stand
point of cause and effect. The
progressive medical man searches
behind the phenomena for the
noumena. The light of medicine
is fast breaking on the disciples of
Hsculapius. Only few years
have elapsed since Professor Lister
of London, announced his Anti
ceptic Surgery, which has saved
tens of thousands of lives. A few
short years will cover the time
since Professor Robert Koch, of
Berlin, astonished the world by
his discovery of the cause of
consumption in vegetable germ
called the Tubercular Bacillus. |