The sun., 1891-01-30
Progress Indeed.


art of surgery had made brilliant advances,
tho art OF medicine. which deals with the
complex mysteries OF the interior OF the body,
still remained enigmatical, unscientiflc, OBJ
SQUIRE. and full OF false doctrines. The sur
geon had to deal with palpablo things, the
Strengthening oflimbs the amputation OF dis
eased parts, the checking Of hemorrhage. the
dressing OF wounds The physician, on the
other hand. was wandering In dark and
unexplored land, weighing the evidence OF
morbid processes which had invaded the
blood, devastated the vital organs, dis
arranged the circulation the breathing,
tho digestion, the temperature, or had even
trespassed upon those moro inscrutable do
mains OF tho nervous system and tho mind.
Simple instruments only were demanded by
the surgeon tho knife. the splint. the
bandage, the ligaturc. But what must be
tho physicians equipment who would peer
into these deep recesscs, discover tho patho-
logical changes there, seek their causes,
and explore the world for remedies?
This reproach is true no longer. With
tho increasing power Of modern students
In every department OF learning, medi-
cine has kept pace. not rapidly. it Is true.
because OF the delicate and exquisite nature
Of the problems involved. but still with cer-
tain aim and definite advance. The times
we live In are witnessing the gradual merg-
ing Of tho old empirical practice Of medicine
into genuine and positive science.
II we go over ono by one the great discov-
cries OF modern medicine. it will be found that
most II not all of them have been the work OF
the past fifty years. Take for example. the
methods for the relief OF pain: who can gauge
the beneiicence OF general an1sthesia pro-
duced by the use OF chloroform and ether
Millions OF human beings had suffered
untold agonies before their introduction; |;
and they were unknown until 1916. Co
caine, which differs from them In inducing
local insensbillty in any desired part of the
body. Is still only few years old Although
opium Was known to the ancients, its won-
deriul alkaloids, morphla and codela, and
tho hypodermic syringe. SO powerful for
both good and evil. are products of tho pres
ent day. All oithe best agents for bringing
sleep to tho wakeful brain and rest to tho
pain-harassed body. have been discovered
within the past thirty years. AS with
drugs for the relief OF pain and
Insomnia, so with fever another great
symptom OF disease: modern medicine has
found antidotes for 1t. Quinine Is discovery
OF this century. but within ton years better
remedies have been unearthed In the
coal products. In fact. the destructive
distlation o, coal tar has furnished US with
one Of tho best sleeping potlons as well as
with ono OF tho hest antipyretics. Another
interesting fact Is that the nervous system
Is becoming year by year better understood
sl,nN 81 ,tz,l~
remedies exert their particular influences.
as In the instances just cited OF auRsthetics.
anodynes. hypnotics, and febriruges; and
the advance In the study OF the anatomy.
physiology. and pathology Of tho brain.
spinal cord, and nerves ia equal to any IN
any other department OF science.
As a knowledge Of the seat and cause Of
disease must precede any rational treat
ment 1t Is singular that it is only little
over hundred years since tho first book OF
any value on pathology made Its appear
ance. 1t was published by MoRaAGNI st
Naples and entitled " De S.dibus ct OIusts
Morboruns, OF the Seats and Causes Of Dis
case" Since then investigators have Won
dorfully multiplied all over tho globe. and
great laboratories have been established
In every country for the especial purpose o
making post-mortem examinations anC
studying diseased organs with the scalpel
tho eye and the microscope. 1t is only a few
years since three such institutions were
founded in this city. 1t would be impossibl,
TO describe here IN detail what has been nc
complishedin these pathological researches
what astounding problems have been skill
fully elucidated; but We must at least say
word concerning the parasites OF the human
body. which are legion.
Somewhat early In this century certain
OF the largo parasites were discovered
and their life histories ascertained. such
for example. Us the itch mite. the tri
china and the numerous entozolc inhabi
tants OF man orivci from too close asso
ciution with dogs, and from eating improper
ly cooked beef, pork. mutton. and fish. Will
thediscovery OF the yeast plant by LAToUR II
1886. and the later demonstration OF PAsrEUl
that both fermentation and putrefaction wer
oauaad by flInR0uS. YaQ0tRblo germs. krOS