Principles of diagnosis and treatment in heart affections / by Sir James Mackenzie.

  • James Mackenzie
Date:
1916
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Principles of diagnosis and treatment in heart affections / by Sir James Mackenzie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/280 (page 4)
    within recent years and the brilliant researches of the bacteriologist have caused a great advance in medicine, not only in the detection of disease, but in providing new conceptions of treatment. Clinical research at the present day deals with disease at an advanced stage. If we pause and look back at the advances made in the last hundred years we may feel justified in rejoicing that clinical medicine has made wonderful progress, but if we look a little more closely we cannot but be struck with the fact that 66 there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” Speaking broadly, the result so far is that we know much of the diseases of which people die, and we know a great deal of the signs and symptoms of these diseases in the human body before they die. We can, by our unaided senses and by mechanical aids, de¬ tect disease processes when the disease has advanced so far as to have done actual damage to the organs and tissues. But you will observe that the recognition of a disease occurs for the most part when it has made such pro¬ gress as to produce what we call a physical sign. Now, a physical sign in a great many cases implies a disease so advanced that destruction of tissue or permanent im¬ pairment of the organ has been produced. At the best treatment may arrest disease, leaving an impaired organ; while frequently all we can do is to mitigate the sufferings caused by a progressive disease. The chief efforts of the profession have been spent in the recognition of the more chronic diseases after they have killed the individual or when they have gone beyond the stage of cure. No doubt research into diseases in the later stages was necessary as forming the foundation on which further inquiries should be based, but it is now full time that we should look beyond these stages and see if we cannot get nearer to the goal which is our aim by the detection of disease in its earliest stage.