The Washington herald., 1907-06-02
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

There is hardly any other phase Of
American development as remarkable as
the advance our physicians are making in
the treatment Of human ills. Considering
that the knowledge and successful
methods OF the present day would have
seemed far beyond the pale Of the posi-
ble. in the time Of our grandfathers, It
may not be too optimistic 70 expect medi-
cal science eventually 10 eradicate all
causes Of death except accident and old
age.
Old physicians, speaking cynically one
20 another. used to say: We treat a dis
ease Of which We know little by putting
into n stomach. Of which We know less. a
remedy Of which we know nothing.
Roughly stated, that was what empiricism
meant. With a limited knowledge Of
chemistry. physics. and biology, a meager
knowledge Of the mechanism and func-
tions of the various parts of the body,
and almost no knowledge Of the causes
Of many fatal diseases. doctors sailed by
dead reckoning Preventive masurcs
were speculative, and In treating many
diseases, now easily conquerabIe, the best
practitioners groped in the dark.
Mark Twain's Notes Of an Old Physi-
clan" containing excerpts from the diary
Of a practitioner who bled and starved
and poultced the life out Of patients, re-
fusing them air when they needed it.
and water when they were perishing Of
fever, and who solemnly set down at the
end Of the history Of each case, not
withstanding this careful treatment. the
patient died, has afforded mirth 10 many
layman, but to the modern American
physician, it Is not much more humorous
than the real diary OF a real physician
Of that day would De. SO numerous and
so important have been recent discoveries.
Medicine in America is but a little mole
than l01 years old. II was in 1868 that the
first attempt was made, at the College
Of Philadelphia. 10 teach medicine in
this country TWO years later the OcCu-
patton Of the city by the British troops
caused the college % be closed Il was
reopened i'm I7s. finally becoming the
medical department Of the University Of
Pennsylvania. Another attempt was
made in New York. i'm 17fS. at Kings Col
lege. but only twenty-five pupils, part of
them from the West Indies, were enroll
cd. and when trouble resulted from body
s0atching" the school was closed II was
not rpOpeued until 1872. and no good IA
Cilitics for getting a medical education
existed until after the beginning Of the
nineteenth century. Before America had
medical schools a few wealthy students
went abroad and took degrees I'm London
Edinburgh. and the German universities.
bgt the average physician read medicine
as an apprentice % q practitioner. becom-
ing first a bachelor Of physick' and
then a physician with "A few books ard
little knowledge OF medicine
John Morgan. one Of the most erudlte
men of colonial days. was prominent iH
improssing upon the public mind the
need Of better facilities for educating
physicians. He was the first professor I'm
a chartered college Of medicine. auI he
was known as the father of medical
training IN America. He was one Of the
founders Of the American Philosophical
Society. the College Of Physicians. OF
Philade'0hia. and one Of the first TO do
nate books 90 medical libraries. as well
as the fret 90 suggest the practice Of
writing prescriptions 10 be filled by phar-
maclsts. Morgan was the son of Welsh
merchant. who was n crony II Benjamin
Franklin. lie was born i1 i735. and after
studying az an academy. entered the just
founded College Of Philadelphia. az the
same time being apprenuced TO a ply
sician
There were ar that time only six drug
stores I'm Philadelphia. mostly owned ny
physicians who had their apprentices to
mix drugs. As a. surgeon IN the colonial
army DR. Morgan evidenced such ahil-
itv that he was advised 20 go abroad 20
study benjamin Franklin. agent OF the
Province of PENNSYLVANIA. in London. in
troduCed him 90 number of notable sur
EeorS and physicians From London he
went 20 Edinburgh where he took 6e-
gree He afturward studied anatomy
under Sue I'm Paris. and because Of wall
uable contributions % medical and surCi-
cal literature was admitted. as a CORE
spending member. % the ROYAL Academy
Of Surgery. When he returned 10 Ameri-
ca he interested himself in promoting ed
uCatioU.