Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-20

i functions. This, 100. mas been the WOrl
| of centuries. Since time immemorial. me,
have been bending their best Thought /,
+! the discovery of the proper part to b.
/ taken in the economy by the heart lungs
liver pancreas. spleen. kidneys, digestiv,
| tract, and the great nerve centers. Tho
brain and spinal cord, now. while know
! ledge concerning human physiology ha:
| been steadily accommodating during the
| wears that have rolled away ii ha,
seemed to remain for the 18th century tc
| classify and arrange the information thus
| far obtained At the same time, by
| widening the field OF though. ana in
| creasing the facilities for observation
| glimpses of future possibilities have been
given that startled the scientific world.
In no part of the domain of physiology
perhaps. has such marked Improvement
been made In the last 100 years as in the
study of the BRAIN That organ so deli
cately made so finely adjusted so ex-
quisitely balanced. the Kingdom of the
evolution of thought. the home of the
soul. sits within the protecting walls of
the cranial vault, like the monarch on
his throne. presiding over the destinies
OF his empire. Brain localizatIon has be-
Gene a positive science and IL rapidIv
nearing the line of perfection. The study
of nervous reflexes has rendered plain
many hitherto obscure cases.
a thorough underStd nding of the work.
ing of the vaso-motor systems reveals
the cause of many local COMPOSITIONS. All
these and many more, too numerous to
mention, have been the advancements
made in physiology in recent years. The
next subject 20 which | wish briefly to
call your attention is that of medical
chemistry. When we reml mber that the
chemistry of today is the legitimate Child
of the alchemy Of the Middle Ages. we
can The better understand the progress
made in this branch of medical science.
With It's present appliances and modern
methods. 1t is possible for the chemist to
resolve tho human body into it's compo-
nent parts, giving with mathema teal eX-
actness the weight of each constituent.
Knowledge thus obtained can be turned
To practical account, when seeking for
suitable food for the proper nourishment
of the body.
A much more useful field for research
has been opened up in the department of
toNicology. In this line the expert chem
list with his synthetical and ANALYTICAL
knowledge and his understanding of the
chemical laws governing synergists and
incompatibeS. becomes an important wit
ness in medco-legal questions involving
the administration of toxic drugs with
criminal intent / has been his province
scores of times. to supply the missing
link that has brought the criminal TO
justice ana protection to the innocent
The chemists power to discover injuri-
Gus substances in the food we eat the
liquids we drink. the air we breathe.
boon to suffering world Now. with
scarcely a change in the trend of our
thoughts. we turn to the pharmaceutical
chemist. and 10. we are in the land of
the materia medica. In this apartment
are to be found remedial agents gathered
from the four winds of heaven and the
uttermost parts of the earth. AS we
walk about the spacious laboratory and
behold the skill with which the alkaiodal
elements are eliminated from the crude
1rIs l...ty b.. Al
duet of synthetical chemistry; as we note
the compactness of form. convenient
for the administration of modern rene
dies. we are led TO exclaim: BLESSED be
the god of pharmaceutical chemistry
In this connection it is but a step from
the consideration of the remedy to its
therapeutical application in the treat
ment of disease. 49,
In looking over the great number of
at our command. at first thought
we are inclined to feel that many of them
are superiluous, but when We remember
that each one has its own individual ply
Siological action, and then on the other
hand recall the fact that, as no two per-
sons look alike neither can we find two
persons presenting exactly the same
symptoms. history and conditions when
afflicted by the same disease. il at once i
becomes apparent that the art of pre-
scribing becomes science of the first
Now then in view of these
ldttS. 10 GSSuIiit tdS SpUlS nave uDiH) 10
put up a remedy. or combination of
remedies, marked for a given disease, TO
be prescribed for every person in the
broad universe of God. suffering from
this malady. Is a libel on common sense
and a reflection on the wisdom of Omni-
potence. The proper remedy, at the
proper time, in the proper quantity. is
the ideal of modern therapeutics. Let
me for moment now call you attention
to the subject of obstetrics.
The president followed with survey
Of the field of the progress in surgery,
which, with the benefits of anaestheS.a
has been so great.
AT the conclusion Of the address, the
adjourned for dinner, which
was had at the Cony House, Proprietor
Randall having a very superior spread
placed before the scientific gentlemen.
whose delicate tastes even failed to find
the slightest flaw