On the recent progress of anatomy, and its influence on surgery : a lecture, delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons, at the evening meeting, on the 2nd of July, 1851 / by James Paget.

  • James Paget
Date:
1851
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the recent progress of anatomy, and its influence on surgery : a lecture, delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons, at the evening meeting, on the 2nd of July, 1851 / by James Paget. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    has been in vain, altliough it has been the boast of English surgery since the time of Hunter, if the improvement of the principles which it involves, and of the expressions which are employed in enunciating them, can lead to no improve- ment in the practice of surgery. Let it not be supposed, in any case, that the improvement of the principles of surgery is of little importance, provided its prac- tice be secure. No one can more readily than myself acknowledge, that many things in practical siu-gery are more sure than any of its principles. The uses of opium, mercury, and iodide of potassium, in their ap- propriate cases, are much more certain, much clearer facts, than anything which can be assigned as a principle in sur- gery ; the times and methods of performing certain opera- tions, the ti'eatment of merely mechanical diseases, are much more sure than any surgical principles can be; and, if all the body of surgery consisted in things like these, it might be left for men of scientific taste to pursue its prin- ciples. But it is not so. I presume that no one is contented with the present state of surgery ; that there is no one who has not been driven back upon principles in cases of emer- gency, and upon them alone has rested for guidance as to what his course should be. Principles may be called merely forms of words ; but, if they are so, they are such words as, from having been at first only the expressions of our thoughts, have come to be our guides, and our guides in the most difficult passes of our professional calling. I have not now chosen peculiarlj' favourable ground for the proof of the good influence exercised by the recent pro- gress of anatomy upon surgery; for I have taken cases in which, if I may so speak, anatomy has stood alone, and not as a mere contributor with other methods of inquiry. For, really, the progress of such an art as surgery must depend mainly upon the combined influences of many methods of inquiry and observation, and upon the results which are thus obtained being brought to bear by the skilful and expe- rienced surgeon himself. Now, as contributing to that accurate knowledge, upon which the future progress of sur- gery must mainly depend, I suppose no one would hesitate