The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-03-04
Progress of the
Passing Century.

tBy Malcolm ). Richards, rh.D.)

fBy Malcolm J. Richards Ph.D.)
tBY MALCOLM J. RICHARDS. NJ. d.
Although 1t may appear to the super
6cisl observer as II more progress had
been made In the realms OF medicine and
surgery during the present century than
IN any other branch Of science this IS not
entirely true. 1t can not be denied that
the achievements that have marked the
past hundred years have been great and
grand In their effect upon humanity but
still 1t must be admitted that the seed
that has brought forth this harvest was
planted by men who lived and worked ia
period that antedates the present era.
The Nineteenth century has given TO
the world men who deserve great credit
for the work they have done. but II 1t
had not been for Harvey who discovered
the circulation OF the blood in the early
part OF the Seventeenth century. as well
as many other bright minds who lived
more than hundred years ago the prog
ress OF the present century would have
been impossible.
In making this statement It Is not my
intention TO detract from the grandeur
OF the achievements of our own philosoph-
ical view OF the matter. After we have
given the credit 10 the men 10 whom it is
due we can turn attention 10 our own
work. and it is safe to say that Il VIII
not suffer ia consequence.
AS Or. Edward II Clarke has so wisely
said: During the present century medi-
cine has been enfranehised from supsrstl-
ton. quasi charlatanlsm. bad empiricism,
and speculation has developed into sys-
iemztlo service" In addition. he might
have said auxiliary science has reinforced
medicine and surgery, notably chemistry
and electricity. Mechanical skill has DRrn
shown IN the invention If cutlery and in-
struments never before dreamed Of. and,
what IS mora 20 the pon. from the hu.
manifarian view a benevolent spirit now
possesses the medical world SO that a pa
tient is not regarded as a semi criminal,
but Is treated with the most angelic com
passion.
Hospitals and asylums for the treatment
OF the poor and unfortunate Is the result
OF this Patients who are suffering from
insanity are now treated kindly Instead
Of being shackled and bound 10 the walls
OF their cell. The nurses OF the RED Cross
and other organizations have robbed war
OF some OF its worst errors and al ihis
works TO the lOIificatiou OF this age as
g benevolent era.
TO speak of all the remarkable achieve
ments OF the past hundred years would
be impossible in tho confines OF a single
article. but these achievements have been
so great that IL Is only necessary Ia touch
upon them ever so slightly to bring hem
before the mind OF the reader with ali
force.
One of the greatest OF these achieve
ments was certainly the discovery OF an
aesthetics. aud while there has been much
controversy concerning priority OF dls-
covery In this matter it seems 10 be now
agreed that AT least the greater part Of
the credit for this work belongs TO Dr.
William T. G. Morton. That the credit
for the origination OF the idea may belong
10 Wells, or Long. or Jackson can scarce
ly be discussed at this time but IL can
not be denied that while Long waited and
Wells turned back and jackson was think
Ing. tho practical man went 10 work and
worked resolutely. He gave ether sue
cessiully in severe surgical operations,
be loudly proclaimed his deeds aud no
absolutely compelled men TO listen 10 him.
1t was Morton who first proved to the
world that ether could produce insen-
slbiliiy to tho pains Of surgery and that
the new anesthetcs could be used with
perfect safety. 1t Is To him, therefore
that humanity owes this great debt. tor
no other achievement OF the century has
Nht4N RhH4N W AnAAlbaht uuulAA SuHETluE.
IL was on October 10, 1886, that Dr.
Morton gave his first public demonstration
IN the operating theater al the Massa-
chusetts general hospital. al Boston Pre-.
vious to that time he had made many ex-
periments upon animals, upon himself and
upon submissive patients but until this
day in October physicians had received
his statements with little faith. They
rould not believe that this apparently
impossihle feat could be performed. but
the public demonstration persuaded them
and since that October morning surgery
mas undergone a complete change. Now
me terrors OF the operating room have
vanished and the patient dreams pleasant
dreams as he sleeps under the knife.
permitting the surgeon to work on az
methodically as II he were repairing AN
aron machine. About a year later chloro-
( form. which had been invented in 1890
was hrst used as an anesthetic py James
y. Simpson and the scientific world Was
then willing TO admit that the problem Of
anesthetic had been solved beyond a
question OF doubt
In no branch OF medicine has the prog
ress been more great than In the science
OF bacteriology, and II must be admitted
that much of this advancement has been
due TO the remarkable work performed by
Pasteur. In 1878 he proved concIuslyeiy
that disease was often caused by tlny
bodies that had been living In the blood
science has been great.
Bacteriology has revealed the organisms
which caused the reiapsng fever, typhoid
Fever, tuberculosis, cholera. idiphtheria
tenatus and other diseases. In 1894 DR..
hitasato. Japanese pathologist, discoy-
cred that the butonic plague had been
caused by mlcrobe. Koch had ALREADY
elueidated the fact that diseases OF the
lungs owed their origin to microbes and
later. Laveran discovered the microbe al
malarial fever.
All this was important. but tho estab.
hshment OF the germ theory OF disease
was not OF more consequence than ne
great work performed by Joseph Lister
Listers achievement was the Application
Of Pasteur's discovery to surgery. Ia
discovered that putreiaction was caused
by fermentation due to animal organisms
and the fact that he was able to destro,
these germs was one OF the most impor.
fant steps that science has made durine
the present century.
In fart pref horrt.