Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-31
81 ROMANCE OF MEDICINE.
Course Of History Changed by a Sore
Tooth or q Torpid Liver.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, speaking to
some London medical students, told sew
the romance of medicine"
The fashion if wearing wigs. for in
stance, was due to u skin disease which
produced bald patches on the august
head of Francis of France He got Il
wig and his courtiers followed suit, just
as they all whispered when he had an
attack of iaryngits
"One can trace for many years" says
the same authority. certainly from
1902, the inception of that disease which
killed Napoleon at st. Helena in 1921,
In 1902 Bourrienne said: Il have often
seen him at Malmaison lean against the
right arm of his chair and, unbuttoning
pain | feelp
to his stamachic and heDatic trouble,
but from then onward it continually ap-
peared. like Banuuo at the banquet. He
could scatter the hosts of Europe and
alter the Kingdoms, but he was power
less against the mutinous cells of his
own mucous membrane.
Again and again he had attacks Of
lethargy, amounting almost to collapse
at moments when all his energy was
most required. At the crisis of Water
loo he had such an attack and sat his
horse like man dazed for hours of the
action Finally the six years at ST.
trio disease which was all explained
in the historical post-mortem exami-
nations. which disclosed cancer cover
ing the whole wall of the stomach and
actually sperforating it at the hepatic
border
"Napoleon's whole career was pro-
foundry modified by his complaint. There
have been many criticsms-not unnatu-
raj ones-of his petty, querulous, and
updignified attitude during his captivity;
but if his critics knew what it was to
digest their food with an organ which
had hardly a square inch of healthy
tissue upon it they would perhaps take
a more generous view of the conduct of
Napoleon, For my own part, 1 think
shown than during those years-the best
proof of which was that mis- guardians
had no notion how ill he was until
within ID few days of his actual death.
History abounds with examples of
what have called the romance of medi-
cine Look at the men, for example
who were the prime movers in the
French revolution. They were dis
Was Marat's view of life tainted by the
loathesome skin disease. for which he
was taking hot baths when Charlotte
Corday cut him off? Was the incorrup.
of his own liver? Was Couthons heart
embittered by his disfgured limbs?
THESE are the problems where medi-
cine infringes upon history, and these
are the illustrations of the philosophy
which is only open to the medical think
err. How many times do the most i'm
pOrtant historical developments appear
to depend upon small physical causes ?
There is, for example, the case of tho
revocation of the edict of Nantes. BY
this measure the whole history of
France has been profoundly modified
because by that action there were given
forth the Huguenots.
Now how came Louis XIV, who had
always held out upon this point to givt
way at last to the pressure of Nine. Dc
Maintenon and his clerical advisers?
The answer lay in one of his molaI
teeth 1t is historical that he had 70,
some months bad toothache, carries, alb
scess, of the jaw, and finally sinus
which required operation, and it was n.
this time, when he was pathologically
abnormal and irritable, that he took tho
step which has modified history. Great
results may depend upon n kings jaw
or -StateSman'S digestion. Lancet.