On hospital instruction : an introductory address to the students at St. Vincent's Hospital on November 4th, 1858, session 1858-9 / by J.M. O'Ferrall.

  • O'Ferrall, J. M. (Joseph Michael), 1790-1868.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On hospital instruction : an introductory address to the students at St. Vincent's Hospital on November 4th, 1858, session 1858-9 / by J.M. O'Ferrall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in knowledge, that it is still the same pathology, and that you must endeavour to acquire the knowledge and experience of a physician in both in order to comprehend it. You will see in one bed the symptoms of ileus, arising from intestinal invagination, or from stricture, pressure, paralysis, or some other form of obstruction of the alimentary tube; and you will, in the next bed, perhaps, see the symptoms of ileus arising from extra-abdominal obstruction, a strangulated hernia; and seeing these things you will learn the pathology, not of hernia or of intus susceptio merely, but of obstructive diseases of the alimentary tract. You will, in fact, recognize the essential disease, from whatever cause it may arise, and your differential diagnosis will be assisted by your previous acquaintance with all possible causes of the affection. You will be capable of grappling with the difficulties in any given case, and of bringing all the resources of your art to the aid of your client. You will be superior to the mere practitioner in one branch of your art, whose narrowed experience permits him to see, in every case, only some example of the special pathology with which he is exclusively acquainted. An acquaintance with the pathology of internal parts is often the surest ground for successful indications of treatment of ex¬ ternal disease ; and, on the other hand, he who has most carefully observed the congestions, infiltrations, suppurations, ulcerations, thickenings, contractions, and malignant diseases of visible parts, will most easily