Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-15
NEW HOSPITAL BUILDING
PRACTICALLY ASSURED

-NS VI ~ = 9 IN L ~
him as a man as well as a regent.
Again feel at home here as this is the
home of another staunch friend of the
university, your representative in the
state senate, Capt. S. III. Harper, and
last, but not least, | would like to refer
to the owner Of that voice who just in
%terrupted us with that word good
a voice rich in the natural brogue, the
owner of which was especially honored
and esteemed in Iowa City, from where
he was transferred to Ottumwa, that
good Father. John O'Farrell.
A Reciprocal Visit.
Il had expected to be revealed here
tonight in my true character. | had
supposed that our friends, the physi-
clans, would be given the place of hon
or on the program, and that some of us
would serve more in the capacity of
tail-pieces so l came prepared espe,
cially to pay compliments to Il
friends of the medical profession. Ny
visit here tonight is in a measure re-
ciprocal, for the first sentiment in ia
vor Of a medical department at the
State University originated with the
Wapello County Medical society. 1t
was this society that circulated the
first petition for its establishment, and
it makes enc feel at home to come here
and follow in the footsteps of the Wa
pello county physicians.
The March of Science.
"The forward march of science, es-
pecially medical science, has called
forth the greater appreciation of the
home, the hospital and the public
schools. We are accustomed to read in
the papers concerning the miraculous
progress of science, but more particu-
larly material science, as applied to
mechanics and industries. We have
heard how the steam engine spanned
the continent and brought the nations
together in closer International rela-
tions. We have heard how, by the use
of electricity, a message flashes, no
longer by poles or under seas, but
through the cir. so that S~hakespeare's
prophecy is fulfilled, Puck shall gir-
die the world in forty minutes.
These thoughts all dazzle us, and we
are apt in consequence to overlook in
the strides made by material science,
that medical science has advanced as
we'll. Keeping step in the forward
march has been this science, which
makes for health and happiness. In
health-keeping we have come to the
period when we think of the proven
ton of diseases and sanitation. Let
us see what steps science has taken as
applied to the prevention of diseases
and sanitation.
Discovery of Anaesthssia.
"At the close of the eighteenth CEN
fury Priestly, the chemist, made eX-
periments with vapors and gases, and
discovered that by their use he could
deaden the sensibilities. Between the
years 1922 and 1880 experiments were
made by Yankees with sulphuric ether,
and it was found in an experimental
way that Ills would deaden the sensi-
hilities. l..H these were all expert
ments, and we're e%xpounded in the lee
ture rooms and the chemical
laboratories. In the middle of
the nineteenth century DR.. Wells,
a Yankee from Hartford, Conn, a den
fist, used nitrous oxide gases in the ex-
traction of teeth without pain. In 1S47
other Boston physicians made certain
valuable experiments. In that year
on December 9, a date ever memorable
in the history of surgery, an Edinburg
physician used anesthetics in partition
and midwifery, and 10, anaesthetics be-
came an applied science, alternating hui
man suffering and making it possible,
while the patient is asleep to make any
kind of dissection and to do the work
with skill. So chemistry used with
surgery has proven to be a balm of
.Gilead to suffering mankind and has
made accuracy possible.
Concerning Bacteria.
"side by side and step by step with
the experiments begun by Priestly in
the beginning of the eighteenth centu-
ry, certain students in natural history
began making experiments and stimuli
|taneously a German and a French stu
dent published books on that subject
showing that certain invisible ORGAN
isms make for life and that certain
other invisible organisms make against
life. They discovered qualification but
still this was in the field of expert
mentality. In 1860 Lister, a Scotch
physician discovered, as he thought,
that in his operations in surgery he
could make out these invisible bacter-
Id, anu pdctGGlOlosy WAS d UeW SCI
ence because of his experiment. Lis
ter prepared the way so that we now
know as a certainty the presence of
bacteria, and though it is only revealed
by the use of microscope, we are able
to determine the disease by the bacte-
ria found.
Prevention of Disease.
Then we come to the science of BIZ
ology, which works for the prevention,
as well as the cure, of disease. This
great discovery in the fields of physics
leads us into the realm Of electricity
which even yet we dare not define.
But we feel that by this means we are
nearing the verge Of greater miracles,
than was seen in that wizard nineteen
century, through which we have just
passed. Today how many of us pick
up the morning paper and scan its
pages TO read about radium, which is
greater than the X-ray, permits us not
only to see through the human body,
but makes the body phosphorescent
from within. SO that we will be able
not only to photograph, but to make
the human body a FREELY, for the pur.
pose of revealing those things that
have to do with disease or with. health.
4 GsyIyo Ioo{n - $50 +1o+ L., AZ