The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-31

zion. the world. Though we are dlssatls-
fed with past and present knowledge. yet
on. Present high standing IS not depen-
dent upon any one generation. nor upon
any one or two distinguished lights OF
any particular age or generation, but
,upon the accomplishment and achieve
! ments Of zach and every generation and
age back OF us. which serves as a fOunoa-
ton for the superstructure OF the present
and future. which have. and will con-
tinue 10 have difficult heights 70 over
come in their onward march toward ad-
vancement. and each succeeding summit
will be higher than the last, ana the as
cent will be accomplished with CELEBRITY
and swiftness Of the spring Of a tisress IN
pursuit OF its prey. and with the i~rresist-
lille force Of an on-rushing avalanche
down the steep decline Of a mountain
side.
Others. I doubt not, II not we.
The issues Of our tolls shall see;
And they forgotten and unknown).
The young gather as their own
The harvest that the dead had sown.
just as mankind in the beginning was
without knowledge of civilization, which
had 10 be acquired by his experience in
the struggle FOR existence. so It WAS with
out medical knowledge which had 10 be
acquired in the same way.
q y y ~ i -
Therefore. you can we'll imagine that
the beginning Of our science was crude
indeed. especially. before the time Of
mans ability TO transmit knowledge by
means Of printed matter. IT is an his
torical fact. that the medical knowledge
Of the ancient Egyptian. as ascertained
from their nosology. was but little more
than the knowledge Of old women In
such matters. in all ages. 1t Is also
$500. .s.s F.Y rmnnT~ ngnffTiCG I'M To a
comparatively recent time, medical
knowledge consisted largely Of systems.
made upon theories instead Of facts. IL
was but an empire art and remainedl
so M to the time of the discovery Of the
! circulation Of the blood dn the beginning
| of the 18th century, which laid the foun-
| dation Of scientific medicine, 10 be sub
| sequently based upon facts instead OF
theories. with this discovery. the dill
fercnt fundamenta and primary branch
IS Of our art began TO loom up In the
| distance. The first one. Physiology.
which deals with all the mechanical and
hemica functions Of the living organ
ism. in fact with life itself. was the first
step 10 the observation Of the fundamen-
! tai laws and facts Of scientific medicine.
II. IS quite true that before this time
anatomy had received some attention,
but had not reached the high standard
1 OF nfTletflOn OF lO-utN, anu "a 'NA1AN
cred as important a branch as now. \
| thorough knowledge Of physiology end an
atomy Is most important for the student
Of medicine as they are the correrstones
upon which the whole structure rests.
Next I'm importance Is chemistry. When
these branches were understood the art
of medicine dispensed with the robe or
empiricism and donned the raiInent OF
| rationalism. 1t began to see the why
~ inc Vn nFhnE aHfIna
tinc branches were evolved based upon
facts and lawsr that stimulated investiea-
ton. The truly scientific branch Of med
icine Is bacteriology which has shown
that the particular germs of ~parucular
| diseases are the exciting causes or those
| diseases. and this has brought about a
| radical change of treatment in both med
icine and surgery.
Before the days Of anesthesia, surgery
was an art looked upon with horror not
only by the people but also the surgeons
the patient often prcfcrring death 10
operation and the surgeon, even though
fitted for his work and its advancement.
not infre1uently changed his life
work, ana sought employment in other
fields. Anaesthetics. chloroform and eth
er. or rather their pain destroying power
were discovered by experimentation upon
the lower animals.
AneslntElt mas DttU NIH iiNNA pb"N
factor toward the rapid development OF
surgery. BY its use we have been on
abled TO make all kinds OF experiments
upon the lower animals. thereby enablin
the profession TO r~evolutiOntze physiol-
ogy. pathology, therapeutics and prac-
teal medicines. In the last twenty or
thirty years the application of the term
theory to the treatment OF wounds, mas
developed and advanced surgery with
-.a - ...L 49, ,rny..nfnra q Gnn-
pared with time previous. that II Is In
| conceivable and marvellous. not only to
the lay mind. but also TO the professional
Before the DAYS OF anesthetics and anti
septics. the death rate in major surgery,
even in selected and favorable cases was
between 80 per cent. and 40 per cent,
and many surgical procedures or to-day
such as abdominal and brain operations
were not undertaken at all. Surgical IN
Prevention is now feasible. under certain
conditions. on any organ OF the body,
and il is now possible 10 deal with in
iuries that were once believed to be be-
yond the resources Of surgery. and the
mortality has fallen TO 4 per cent. or D
per cent. In view Of this. the State,
nation. in fact. the civilized world, for
humanity's sake. should lend a helping
hand. and encouragement to its advance
ment in every particular.
The sciences have been Inc acllNe means
! Of placing the practice OF medicine In
! the position which IT occupies
to-day. The clinical thermometer
microscope. stethoscope. opthatmo-
scope. Roentgen ray. etc, are
so many instruments OF precision that
/ enable us TO diagnose and treat disease
and their use has not only prevented H.
but has placed in our hands such meas
ures as 20 reduce the mortality OF the
most dreaded TO practically nil.
A question often asked is. why IS
there so much discord. difference. envy
and jealousy within the fold Of the medl-
| cal profession? The fact is lost sight OF
that the same exists among other pro-
f~essions and c~allings. and II is well II IS
so. for Il is the differences OF opinion that
make the world progress in every way.
1t is the instigator OF progress In science,
art. philosophy, State and international
diplomacy. peace. war, revolution, civil
izatiOn and religion. If all were possess
ed of the same opinions. there would be
no incentive TO dive into the depths OF
knowledge. and all would move in a COM
mon rut. From the creation Of the world
10 the close OF this century, no advance
has been made but that 1t has had its
! opponent. and II is this very opposition
that has resulted In the onwar and up
ward movement OF mankind. until he has
almost attained that goal-the Image OF
his Maker"
cTATfSTrCc EOR THE yFAP