登陆注册
5228800000057

第57章 III(1)

CURRENTS AND COUNTER-CURRENTS IN MEDICAL SCIENCE

An Address delivered before the Massachusetts Medical Society, at the Annual Meeting, May 30, 1860.

"Facultate magis quam violentia.

HIPPOCRATES.

Our Annual Meeting never fails to teach us at least one lesson. The art whose province it is to heal and to save cannot protect its own ranks from the inroads of disease and the waste of the Destroyer.

Seventeen of our associates have been taken from us since our last Anniversary. Most of them followed their calling in the villages or towns that lie among the hills or along the inland streams. Only those who have lived the kindly, mutually dependent life of the country, can tell how near the physician who is the main reliance in sickness of all the families throughout a thinly settled region comes to the hearts of the people among whom he labors, how they value him while living, how they cherish his memory when dead. For these friends of ours who have gone before, there is now no more toil; they start from their slumbers no more at the cry of pain; they sally forth no more into the storms; they ride no longer over the lonely roads that knew them so well; their wheels are rusting on their axles or rolling with other burdens; their watchful eyes are closed to all the sorrows they lived to soothe. Not one of these was famous in the great world; some were almost unknown beyond their own immediate circle. But they have left behind them that loving remembrance which is better than fame, and if their epitaphs are chiselled briefly in stone, they are written at full length on living tablets in a thousand homes to which they carried their ever-welcome aid and sympathy.

One whom we have lost, very widely known and honored, was a leading practitioner of this city. His image can hardly be dimmed in your recollection, as he stood before you only three years ago, filling the same place with which I am now honored. To speak of him at all worthily, would be to write the history of professional success, won without special aid at starting, by toil, patience, good sense, pure character, and pleasing manners; won in a straight uphill ascent, without one breathing-space until he sat down, not to rest, but to die. If prayers could have shielded him from the stroke, if love could have drawn forth the weapon, and skill could have healed the wound, this passing tribute might have been left to other lips and to another generation.

Let us hope that our dead have at last found that rest which neither summer nor winter, nor day nor night, had granted to their unending earthly labors! And let us remember that our duties to our brethren do not cease when they become unable to share our toils, or leave behind them in want and woe those whom their labor had supported. It is honorable to the Profession that it has organized an Association a for the relief of its suffering members and their families; it owes this tribute to the ill-rewarded industry and sacrifices of its less fortunate brothers who wear out health and life in the service of humanity. I have great pleasure in referring to this excellent movement, which gives our liberal profession a chance to show its liberality, and serves to unite us all, the successful and those whom fortune has cast down, in the bonds of a true brotherhood.

A medical man, as he goes about his daily business after twenty years of practice, is apt to suppose that he treats his patients according to the teachings of his experience. No doubt this is true to some extent; to what extent depending much on the qualities of the individual. But it is easy to prove that the prescriptions of even wise physicians are very commonly founded on something quite different from experience. Experience must be based on the permanent facts of nature. But a glance at the prevalent modes of treatment of any two successive generations will show that there is a changeable as well as a permanent element in the art of healing; not merely changeable as diseases vary, or as new remedies are introduced, but changeable by the going out of fashion of special remedies, by the decadence of a popular theory from which their fitness was deduced, or other cause not more significant. There is no reason to suppose that the present time is essentially different in this respect from any other. Much, therefore, which is now very commonly considered to be the result of experience, will be recognized in the next, or in some succeeding generation, as no such result at all, but as a foregone conclusion, based on some prevalent belief or fashion of the time.

同类推荐
  • 续古尊宿语要目录

    续古尊宿语要目录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 集验方

    集验方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 岛噫诗

    岛噫诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 麟台故事

    麟台故事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Zeppelin's Passenger

    The Zeppelin's Passenger

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 腹黑校草心尖宠:丫头,你是我的

    腹黑校草心尖宠:丫头,你是我的

    一次意外躲雨,两人被雷击中,意外的互换了灵魂,原本的娇俏少女夜非语,一觉醒来变成了第一校草司徒京,为了能够换回身体,两人从此开启了同吃同住,相爱相杀的同居生活。夜非语:“你干嘛?”司徒京:洗澡!夜非语:洗澡怎么把我的眼睛蒙上了?司徒京:你难道还想看本少爷的身体不成!夜非语(吃惊):难道你给我洗?司徒京:废话!我可不想要你碰本少爷的身体!等他即将爱上她的时候,两人意外的换回了身体,再次醒过来时,她却彻底消失在他的世界。两年后,她再次回归,可没人想到,此时她的身世已经强悍到令人咋舌。他不畏艰辛,把她吃得死死的,邪魅一笑,“丫头,你是我的!这辈子别想溜走!”“哦?是吗?”
  • 我在异界做刑警

    我在异界做刑警

    我们游走于光明之后,黑暗之前!我们没有神灵的庇佑,不被恶魔所承认!圣歌属于骑士,鲜血归于恶魔!而我们,以人类的名义,恪守手中之枪刃!——恶魔刑警
  • 生死狙击之生化死神

    生死狙击之生化死神

    (本书因特殊原因已改名为《生死狙击之吾名杀神》)“我楚天以忘川死神之名在此起誓!此生必灭异族!佑我人族疆土!扬我人族之威!此誓天地共鉴,日月为证!”
  • 广释菩提心论

    广释菩提心论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 临城国际大劫案

    临城国际大劫案

    1923年5月6日凌晨一时许,山东南部的枣庄市临城附近的津浦铁路线,两名巡道工沿着闪着青色光茫的铁路线向南迤逦而行。晴朗无云,月光如银,这样的好天气,不用马灯便能清清楚楚地看到很远的地方。初夏的夜风轻轻地吹拂着,两边无边无垠的麦田如海,麦浪起伏。巡道工走回到路边一间扳道房,叫醒在里边睡觉的同伴,开始交班。屋里还睡着一个带枪的铁路警察,也醒来和几个人说着话。就在这个时候,十几个黑影从麦田中钻出来,几个人守在外边,几个人冲进扳道房。“都不许动,谁动打死谁!”
  • 爱你是我唯一的温暖

    爱你是我唯一的温暖

    爱你,是我此生唯一的执迷不悟……她曾是他手心里的宝。结婚三年,恩爱如初。她以为,他们会一直这样幸福下去。可一夕之间,他像忽然变了一个人,对她冷漠,暴戾,甚至绝情。最后,不惜亲自将她推上手术台,一尸两命。可谁知道,原来这场背叛背后的原因竟是这样……
  • 我的大脑挂机了

    我的大脑挂机了

    苏青一觉醒来,发现自己穿越成了自己……?怎么老爸还开了个咖啡馆?诶?穿越第一天,老爸跑路,被迫接手店铺?老爸留下这个坑人的金手指是怎么回事?设定又是怎么回事?苏青突然想起,一个很火的5V5团队游戏。里面有个英雄的台词,非常符合她现在的情境:死亡如风,常伴吾身。
  • 太上之心

    太上之心

    二十年前,当今邪帝凭一颗“不死魔心”君临天下。二十年后,“不染凡心”出世,九州大地再起浩劫。小凡本是一个普通的孩子,自幼随师傅漂泊红尘,而他原本平静的生活,却因为体内凡心的觉醒,发生了天翻地覆的变化。求道,拜神,寻仙,诛魔,当他登顶九州回首遥望,才发现原来他所寻找的,一直都是那颗初心。
  • 废材王妃风华绝代

    废材王妃风华绝代

    静瑶乃是清央国大将军静郝之女,她生性懦弱,寡言少语,没有任何斗气波动,相貌平凡,而且左眼角上方还有一红色胎记,世人称之为“鬼印”,鬼气煞重,接近她的人都没有好下场,她年方十六,还未敢有人上门提亲,大将军静郝听从二夫人玉青昔的话将静瑶嫁于穷山僻壤里,那里的人不知晓静瑶脸上鬼印的事,静郝刚要有所行动,不曾想,一道令整个王国沸腾的圣旨就在此时颁布了,圣旨内容谁也没想到,竟是要将静瑶赐予逸王做正妃,这下全国所有的女性对静瑶那是嫉妒恨啊,可是两位当事人都没有任何异议,静瑶没有异议,他们能理解,可是为啥天神般俊美的逸王不拒绝呢?依晟帝对逸王的宠爱,只要逸王提出反对,晟帝一定会收回圣旨的,可是出乎意料的,逸王同意了,顿时,万千少女的心碎了满地。世人皆叹静瑶会是逸王人生中不可磨灭的污点,却不知这桩婚事是逸王自己求的。片段一:“王爷,青枫小宛里的头牌幽雪姬今日在大街上嘲笑王妃是千古废物。”一侍卫恭敬地立在书房外。“废了她全身斗气,割了舌头,扔到军营中去。”逸王搁下狼毫毛笔,平淡道,门外的侍卫抽了抽嘴角。片段二:“启禀王妃,楚天国岚珞公主来访,说是要做王爷的小妾,并送上了一柄血如意为表对王爷的一片真心,这可如何是好?”王府管家双手捧着血如意站在院中,冷汗直下。“如何是好啊?呵呵,这么着急做人家小妾,那就成全她。”静瑶的一番话让管家摸不着头脑,成全岚珞公主?要是岚珞公主真成王爷的小妾了,估计王爷回来就成全他了。“城西李员外暮年还未娶一房,既然公主这么着急的话,就让她去伺候李员外得了,到时本宫会去祝贺她的。”吃下一粒剥好皮的葡萄,静瑶又躺了下去,只留下管家风中凌乱了。片段三:静瑶紧握手中的天剑,一脸冰霜地凝视着眼前的魔兵,浑身上下散发着幽冷如地狱的气息和刺骨的恨意,高举手中的天剑,周边的空气都聚集到了她的剑上,一刹那电闪雷鸣,手中的天剑一挥,一股磅礴的力量袭向了成千上万的魔兵,剑气所到之处,一片狼藉,她的身后清央国百姓脸上都是不可置信,妈呀,废材变天才,这片天因她而变。
  • 后经典叙事语境下的美国新现实主义小说研究

    后经典叙事语境下的美国新现实主义小说研究

    经历了20世纪60年代后现代主义实验小说的狂飙,始于70年代的美国新现实主义小说融合了传统现实主义小说的写作手法以及现代主义和后现代主义小说的实验意识,以多样、丰富的文本形态日益吸引着文学评论家和读者的视线。本书在后经典叙事研究的语境下,依托后经典叙事学提出的颇受文学批评学界关注的理论、视角、概念、范畴,对具有代表性的美国新现实主义作家及其作品进行结构、话语、修辞、伦理等方面的探究,从而解读自20世纪70年代开始发轫的美国小说现实主义转向的叙事内涵。