A letter to James Thomas Law, M.A., Chancellor of the Diocese of Lichfield, on the importance of establishing, in connection with the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery, a clinical hospital / by William Sands Cox.

  • William Sands Cox
Date:
[1839]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to James Thomas Law, M.A., Chancellor of the Diocese of Lichfield, on the importance of establishing, in connection with the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery, a clinical hospital / by William Sands Cox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Amongst the various causes of the rapid acTvancemeut of Medical education, which ha& taken place within the last few years, the insti- tution of Clinical* (KXt»'7, a bed) instruction is one of the most obvious and valua])le. Without entering into the details of the Benefits de- rived from 1 « . Hwpiiais, benefits, which the public must receive from two-fold. every well regulated Medical charity, there are two e&pecial grounds on which they are benefi- cial ; the one, to relieve and provide for our fellow creatures afliicted with disease; the other, as Schools of Medicine, wherein the knowledge, acquired by observation and experience, might not only be rendered useful to the present, but perpetuated to future generations. Many phil- anthropic individuals no doubt have contributed to Hospitals, only from a benevolent ihsposition to relieve the miseries of the poor distressed, without ever thinking of any improvement in Medical and Surgical knowledge ; but, it cannot • ■• The recn'nr npplic.'.li<in of clinifMl tcaclilmt in bolli ileiiariincnl.1 of mcdicme. n» an eysentinl part of edncntinn, is but of yesterday. Systematic Lectures on diseases are exeellent means of conveyins to tlie mind of ttie Student tlie Kenvral trutlis ot pnnciples of Medicine. He may liave attended tlie l^ecturcs seduiinisly; read carefully on the subjects treated of in them; lie aide to pa!>s even an eiamm:itinn thereon with credit; ami yet. when hrouehl to the hed-side. not know liuvv to iulerro^aic a p.-!tient It is aa imperative condition of the knnwledac of our art. that it ^h(lllld lie Irarned on the Jivipg body : there the creat masters of it have acquired their *kill. Hy mrrely fo!l«»w- infC the visit of the Physician or Surseon. (who is under no obligation to tic communis ralive.) the Stiulenls wou!d learn somclhin*^ by observing! how he fulfilled his duty to Ihe sick, but Ibat only after the expenditure of a ureal dc.il uf lime and labour. Much •f the dtity nf the Clinical teacher may lie done at Ihe lietl side, as much as may be ronsislent with the comfort and nelf.ire <•! the patient: but a great deal can lie di.ne. and pni|terly done, elseiThere -in (be lecturc'rooni, where we can speak more freely and folly; ••here, also, »>e can compare cases together, notice oinissions or errors. If such have occurred, and discuss im«urcessful cases—jirnull't Jliilrvti at King'i Viiltrife. im Ihe l^.tlalilithmmt nf iJ iiiicnl Jlotpila/i. Lectures alone will lutl teach a IMnsiriau iir Surpcon lo tlrnk, much less to tbink jnsdy. bnt it will give him the elements nf thinking Kvcry iw ilrnres to live as hini( ns he can Kvery one values health almve nil gold and ttcarure ' In the improve nifnt of Ihe Science, which has for ils < bject the prenervalion of licillh an.l life, every iniUvidiial, ilictetore, is deeply inlere.stcif—J)r. tiuulliituvil Suiilh.