On the past progress and the present aspects of medicine, in relation chiefly to therapeutics : an address delivered before the North of Scotland Medical Association, July 25, 1874 / by Alexander Harvey.
- Harvey, Alexander, 1811-1889.
- Date:
- 1874
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: On the past progress and the present aspects of medicine, in relation chiefly to therapeutics : an address delivered before the North of Scotland Medical Association, July 25, 1874 / by Alexander Harvey. 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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![THE PAST PEOGEESS AND PEESENT ASPECTS OF MEDICINE, &c. Gentlemen,—In casting about for a theme whereon to address you, I have had in view the maxim—siitor ultra oepidam. I have,had in view something that has been to me the home of thought for many years—somethiug that 1 could with some fair di-gree of confidence adventure up'>n. I purpose addressing you on the'Past Progress and the Present Aspects of Medicine in re- lation chiefly to Therapeutics. Last year, rny pre lecessor in this chair, Dr 'lurner, addre-sed you on a kiudi'ed topic—on the Pro- gress of Medicine and .Surgery during the past Forty Years. A masterly address it was—happily conceived, happily executed. I shall be content if I do not fall lamentably short of him in t])e matter and the manner of mine. The subject I have chosen seems to me to chime in well with his, and to be complementary of it. GENERAL PROGRESS OF SCIENCE DURING THE PAST CENTURY. But bef re I break ground, I cannot but bethink me of the French saying—R^caler pour mieiix f^aWer. It may be well to cast a passing glance at the progress madu in the past in other fields of human thought and human enterprise. We are wovf within a year of three-quarters of the century now current. Let us add to it the last, quarter of the 18th century, and take one continuous period of a hundred years. How fruitful of progress has that century been—of progress in every department of science and art ! More has been done in that one century, than was done in all the past ages of the world put together. Marvellous it is to think of ! Sir Isaac Xewton inferred from the progress made in scietice and art up to his own time, that the world could not well be older than is commouly supposed. But tliH grounrls advanced by him do not warrant the inference. For, it may be asked, if it took near six thousand years to evolve the steam engine, why may it not have taken twelve thousand, or a hundred](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21481763_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
