Oration on the guidance of a sound philosophical spirit in the investigations of medical science : Read before the Cincinnati Medical Society, Jan. 4, 1837.

  • Harrison, John P. (John Pollard), 1796-1849.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Oration on the guidance of a sound philosophical spirit in the investigations of medical science : Read before the Cincinnati Medical Society, Jan. 4, 1837. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    made by our predecessors in medicine, are consolidated in the dura- ble body of the science. Even the errors of speculation, which crowd the pages of the history of medicine minister to our instruction, by admonishing us not to depart from the only legitimate high road of all truth, the inductive method of observation and generalization. See the venerable form of Hippocrates coming forward to lay his contributions at our feet, his conjectural notions of an etherial fire, and four species of humours, he has thrown off as injurious misconcep- tions. Sydenham presents his Anglo-Saxon manly brow, upon which is written by heaven's own hand, original and profound genius, and he offers with pious willingness, his valuab]e gifts; but his fermen- tations, and concoctions, and despumations the stream of time has washed away. Hunter, the father of English surgery, brings with vigorous step and lofty bearing his noble offering, and in rough Ian. guage bids us take his gifts—with rejoicing they are accepted, whilst his materia vitee fiffuee, stimulus of necessity and stimulus of death are no longer to be found, and detract not from his memorable achiev- ments. And Rush, with benevolence in his beaming eye, and elo- quent earnestness in his every act, lays down his rich and varied in- tellectual treasures on the altar of medical science. And the Bells, the Coopers, the Andrals, in England and France; Blumenbach and Tiedemann in Germany; Physic, Dunglison, and Dewees, with a Dudley, Caldwell and Drake, in America; these, and a countless host of other distinguished laborers in the field of medical science, have enriched, and are still enriching, the profession, day after day, by their facts and expositions. Long may these gifted members of our profession live to pour fresh contributions of light upon the science of medicine, till all its obscu- rities shall be removed, and the warming, cheering, rays of truth be made to circulate still more and more throughout its departments. And, Gentlemen of the Medical Society, may each and all of us co- operate in this great work—may we effectively aid in accelerating the progress of our science towards higher and higher degrees of light, of certainty, of usefulness ! Then will the words of the son of Sirach receive their illustration and fulfilment in our lives. The skill of the physician shall lift up his head; and in the sight of the great men he shall be in admiration. The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth, and he that is wise will not abhor them.