The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
INTRODUCTION.

INTRODUCTION
TOR countless generations the proph-
cts and kings OF humanity have
desired to see the things which
Il men have seen, and TO hear the
things which men have heard
in the course of the wonderful nineteenth
century To the call of the watchers
the towers OF progress there had been the
one sad answer-the people sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death. Politically.
socially. and morally the race had i'm
proved. but for the unit, for the indi-
vidual there was little hope. Cold phil
osophy shed a giimmer of light on his
path, religion in its various guises illu-
mined his sad heart, but neither awaited
to lift the curse of suffering from the sin
begotten son of Adam. In the fullness of
time. long expected. long delayed, at last
science emptIed upon him from the horu
of Amalthea blessings which cannot be
enumerated blessings which have made
the century forever memorable: and which
have followed each other with a rapidity
so bewildering that We know not what
next to expect. To us in the medical
profession. who deal with this unit and
who measure progress by the law of the
greatest happiness to the greatest num-
Der, to US whose work Is with the sick and
suffering. the great boon of this wonder
full century. with which no other can be
compared. is the fact that the leaves of
the tree of science have been for the heal
ing of the nations. Measure We may
the progress of the mechanically, in
the advantages of steam. electricity. and
other mechanical appliances; sociological
ly. in the great improvement in the con-
ditions of life: intellectually in the diffu-
sion of education; morally, in possibly
higher standard of ethics, there is no one
measure which can compare with the de-
crease OF physical suffering in man. wo-
man, and child when stricken by disease
or accident This Is the one fact of stI-
preme personal import to every one of us
This is the Promethean gift of the CEN
fury to man.
1.-THE GROW III OF SCIENTIFIC
MEDICINE.
The century opened auspiciously. and
those who Were awake saw signs of the
dawn. The spirit of science was brooding
on the waters. In England the influence
OF John Hunter stimulated the younger
men to the study of the problems OF anat-
omy and pathology. On the Continent the
great Boorhaave-the Batavian Hippo
crates-had taught correct ways in the
study of the clinical aspects of disease,
and the work of Halter had given a great
impetus to physiology The researches of
Morgagni had, as Virchow had remarked,
introduced anatomical thinking into nledi-
cine. But theories still controlled prac-
tiee. Cnder the teaching of Cullen. the
old idea that humors were the seat of dis
ease had given place to neuro-pathology
which recognized the paramount influence
of the nervous system in disease. His
colleague at Edinburgh, Brown. brought
forward the attractive theory that all dis
eases could be divided into two groups,
the one caused by excess of excitement
the sthenie; the other 10y defieiency-the
asthenic each having it's appropriate
treatment. the one by depletion, the other
by stimulation. In a certain measure
Hahnemann's theory OF homeopathy was
q reaction against the prevalent theories
OF the day, and has survived through the
century, though in a much modified form
Some OF his views were as follows:
The only vocation OF the physician is
to heal; theoretical knowledge is of no
use. In a case of sickness he should only
know what is durable and the remedies.
OF the diseases he cannot know anything |
except the symptoms. There are internal |
changes but it is impossible to learn what
they are: symptoms alone are accessible;
with their removal by remedies the dis
ease is removed. Their effects can be
M
she sick by causing a disease similar 10
that which is to be combated, and which
dissolves itself into this similar affection.
The full doses required to cause symptoms
in the well are too large to be employed
as remedies for the sick. The healing
power Of a drug grows IN an inverse pro-
portion to its substance lie SAYS liter
ally: Only epotencies are homeupathic
medicines. I recognize nobody as my fol-
lower but him who gives medicine in so |
small doses as to preclude the perception
of anything medicinal in them by means
either Of the senses Of chemistry The |
pellets may be held near the young in
FAINT when asleep. Gliding the hand over
the patient viii cure him, provided The
manipulation is done with firm intention
TO render much good with Il as DOS
sible for its power is in the benevolent |
will of the manipulation Such is the |
homeopathy Of HahnemaEn, which is no |
longer recognized in what they cali home |
opathy ;oday.''-(A- Jacobiy
The awakening came In France. In 1851 |
Rlchat, a young man, published a work On
general anatomy. in which he placed the
seat Of disease, not in the organs but in |
the tissues or fabrics OF which they were |
composed. which gave an extraordinary
impetus to the investigation Of pathology
ical changes. Meanwhile, the study of the |
appearances of organs and bodies when
diseased Cmorbld anatbmEs which had
been prosecuted with vigor Dy Morgagni
in the eighteenth century. had been car
ried ON actively in Great Britain and on |
the Continent, and the work OF Broussais
stimulated a more accurate investigation
OF local disorders. The discovery by
I-aennec OF the art of auscultation. by
which, through changes in the normal |
sounds within the chest. various diseases
OF the heart and lungs could be recog-
n!zed, gave AN immense impetus to elm
zeal research The art OF percussion. III
covered by Avenbrugger in the eighteenth |
century and reintroGuced hv f.or,-ssart