The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-10-05
THE CATHOLIC DOCTOR
What He has Accomplished In Anat-
ony and In Surgery.

To the Catholic doctor there is a
brilliant chapter in the history of
medicine, the recital of which should
thrill him with pride and enthusiasm
This chapter says DR.. Dupuy in a
lecture reproduced in the Morning
Star iof New Orleans, tells of the
epoch-making achievements of the
Catholic doctors whose contributions
make possible the marvellous progress
of medical science. 1t is interesting to
trace the well authenticated historic
prising evidences of what the men of
our faith have accomplished in anat-
omy and in surgery. We must never
forget that the golden age in the de-
velopment of anatomy began with the
labors of Colombo, Vesalius land
Eustachius.
"They constitute the trinity of great
anatOmists of the sixteenth century
To pick out only the bright particular
stars amidst galaxy of great names
we find that the greatest surgeon of
the twelfth century was Lanfranc. He
was cleric of the Church. Para
celsius, the founder of Materia Medica,
left explicit directions in his will for
a requiem Mass, and bequeathed a
sum of money for the shrine of the
Blessed Virgin. Here was sufficient
proof of his orthodoxy. Steno, whose
name is perpetuated in Steno's duct,
was SO faithful to the Church that he
became Bishop. John XXI, who
filled the Papal chair in 1878, was in
his early life physician. He wrote
the first great treatise on diseases of
the eye. This work still remains a
revelation of how much this investi-
gator did know about the organ of
vision.
"Malpighi, the founder of compare
tive physiology, completed Harveys
work on the circulation of the blood
by establishing the existence of the
capillary circulation. He was dis
tinguished Papal physician.
"Morgagni, who lived in 1862, is
considered the father of modern path
ology. He was noted for his sincere
piety and showed his devotion to the
Church in practical way, as he made
the sacrifice of allowing eight daugh-
tiers to become nuns.
"Auenbrugger, 1922, a faithful mem
Der of his parish church, gave to medi-
cine the new and priceless discovery
of detecting disease hidden within the
chest by percussion, or by tapping of
the chest wall Laennec, 1871, follow
ing up the ideas suggested by Auen-
brugger, discovered auscultation
which laid the foundation of our mod
ern knowledge in lung diseases. This
original genius was not too scientific
to .recite his rosary every day. -r~-
"Ambrose Pare, the first to practice
the legation of arteries, life-saving
device which blazed a new pathway
for surgery, was so filed with rever-
ence and piety that he speaks of his
discoveries as inspirations which
came through Divine grace
Guy de Chauliac, who is regarded
as the father of modern surgery, and
who became a sub-deacon in the
Church, was summoned by Pope In
nocent III to organize the Hospital of
the Holy Ghost in Rome. This step
initiated a movement which even
Protestant Virchow pays tribute to in
acknowledging that it caused hospi-
tails to spring up in all parts of
Europe.
Coming down to modern times,
two illustrious Catholics, Muller and
Schwann, pursued pioneer investiga-
tons on cell life and pathology, which
did much to advance medical knowl-
edge at the end of the nineteenth CEN
fury. Claude Bernard, who made
lasting contributions to modern physi-
ology, remained faithful to his early
convictions and received public fu-
neral at Notre Dame, in Paris.
Shall we speak of Pasteur, who
died with his prayer beads in his
humanity is now household knowl-
edge? Shall we not repeat this simple
declaration of his faith from his
own pen: The more I know the
more nearly is my faith that of the
Breton peasant Shall we not recall
with feeling of pardonable pride
! that there never was more distin-
guished and representative group of
men than the Papal physicians of the
twelfth and fourteenth centuries.
| Among these, Richard, the English
man; Linacre, Januensis, Vigo, Varo-
Illus, in their day were among the
leaders in medical thought and ac-
| tivity.
I'VE owe to O'Dwyer, an American
and a fervent Catholic, one of the
most practical discoveries of the nine
teenth century-intubation plac-
ing of metal or hard rubber tubes in
the larynx to give air to the victims
of membraneous Group. Thousands Of
lives have been saved nv this ingeni-