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GROSVENOR-PLACE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
all and every sort of temptation, that he may always be the reliable repository of personal or family honour:perfectly " This reliability is of all ports of the medical man’s character the most essential. No talent, no skill, no genius even, can make up for its absence; and though I would willingly have you fail, gentlemen, in no part of your profession, yet would I rather see you make an obvious blunder in diagnosis or treatment month in the year, than once in the whole course of your lives fail in professional honour and integrity. The qualities which support the medical moral character are not by nature strong enough to keep it uninjured through all its trials. As you now begin your intellectual, begin also your moril training. You will find London full of temptations. lleans of amusement swarm around you; some vicious, some only evil if they occupy too much of your thoughts and time. You may play a game of billiards, or take a row on the river now and then with advantage, or you may become amateur markers or bargemen. You may take healthful exercise in the streets, or turn your walks into seasons of debauchery. A man may well resist evil without dulness of wit and a lugubrious aspect. Enjoy your youth wisely, and do not close the sporting door of your heart against mirth and good-fellowship in their season. I am no advocate for sombre thoughts and a disfigured countenance ; but 1 am a zealous one for that sort of life that shall render you strong in the way I have mentioned, which shall make you gentlemen, not merely in manner and position, but in upright truthfulness of heart-in that charity which desires to injure the feelings of no one, however poor and lowly, and in that virtue, which shall make sacred any fault or any innocence that may be entrusted to your keeping."
every
the most certain to lead them to
a
better
knowledge
of their
profession.
A considerable portion of the lecture was occupied in attempting to illustrate what was meant by a fact, and in what the
fallacy of
facts consisted. The lecturer endeavoured to show that
any atom of matter, standing alone in infinite space, having no sensible qualities and affecting no other atom of matter, was not a fact, so the very term "fact" implied of necessity a relation past or present between two or more substances; and it was impossible to represent any occurrence in nature in language which did not imply the existence of such relations. He reminded them that before Newton solved his problem, why the apple fell to the ground, no one knew that the moon gravitated to the earth by the same force which caused the apple to fall; and that the fact that the moon did not fall, would as
have been set against the assertion that she does gravitate; and it would have been alleged that as the one was true, the other must be false: whereas the falsehood lay only in the misof the relation between these bodies. He also attempted to show the difference between the acknowledged relations constitutingthe fact, and the explanation of such relations constituting the theory, by reference to the phenomena of sound and the hypothesis of an undulatory movement in the air, which, though carrying with it all the probability of truth, might yet be wholly overturned without altering the facts. He apologized for insisting on these somewhat obscure points, on the ground th.-t the progress of medical science was so much hindered by the absolute ignorance of too many medical thinkers and writers with respect to the right principles of reasoning; urging his hearers to lose no opportunity of making themselves with the subject. He put to them as a test of their acquaintance with the method of reasoning by induction, whether they could answer the question, why hundreds of inST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL. stances of any disease (say pneumonia) which had recovered after the administration of any particular remedy (say calomel), INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS BY DR. BARCLAY. afforded no proof whatever that that remedy had any power to DR. BARCLAY began with a few words of welcome to those cure the disease, and only suggested the barest probability that assembled on the occasion, apologizing for his own inexperience it had any beneficial influence whatever. Dr. Barclay then endeavoured to show them how they were as a lecturer, and claiming for the custom the advantage of its to proceed in the acquisition of the knowledge of facts, which an on which and wish friends could meet, offering opportunity was their present business, advising them rather to exercise each other happiness and prosperity, while it served the their minds in the study of the phenomena of disease than in purpose, with those more immediately engaged in the business the complex problem of the effect of remedies; recommending of the session, of a prompter’s bell, to announce the rising of them to take upon trust the teaching of the physicians and surthe curtain and the commencement of the drama; and, with geons of the hospital as to the powers of drugs in the cure of and when had done this well they would be best such an object in view, he regarded its very insignificance as disease, to unravelthey these mysteries when they began to think prepared its chief merit. and study for themselves, after they had said farewell to their He called on the younger part of his audience to consider present instructors. He touched very lightly on the relative seriously what was comprehended in the employment of the duties of their subsequent career as practitioners of medicine; word study-abstraction of thought, concentration of ideas, but took the opportunity of reminding them that they, no less than their patients, bore within their breasts the germs of an earnestness of purpose, industry, energy, determination; and immortal life. He called on them to allow this feeling; to while urging them to bring these necessary requisites to the measure the estimate which they formed of the pleasures and task on which they were entering, he reminded them that they trials of a day; to act now as they knew they must wish they could not really study medicine in the time allotted for their had done when, after the lapse of centuries, in another state would rise up before them, in the lorg vista of the curriculum; they were only now to learn the grammar and of existence, the vivid recollection of these their early years of life. past, vocabulary of that new language in which the thoughts of their And again, urging them to be honest, industrious, and conafter life were to be clothed. scientious, he invited them to the friendship of their teachers, The study of medicine he defined as the investigation of the the companionship of their fellows, and bid them heartily Godbehaviour of each separate molecule of which the body is comin setting out on their journey of life. posed, under every possible circumstance in which, during life, it can be placed; illustrating this definition by the changes going on in the necessary processes of thought and attention in which they were then engaged. He expressed his belief that GROSVENOR-PLACE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. all the arrangements of matter, all the structures of the body, DR. THUDICHUM’S INTRODUCTORY LECTURE. all the changes it undergoes, were originally constituted in subservience to this, the highest function of man’s being; and TEE theatre was well filled, and the lecturer kept the how these molecules of matter became incorporated pointed out audience in attentive good humour throughout. Dr. Thudichum " into the Ego" which throughout its existence remains one, took the feels his indivisible--that who sentient subject of method in the study of medicine as his up being unchangeable, own identity, whose sentiments and affections, whose limbs theme. He dwelt on the study of anatomy, surgery, physioand organs, are verily and indeed his, a part of his being,logy, chemistry, forensic medicine, materia medica, and botany. although not an atom of that matter which gave expression to In these descriptions the lecturer introduced stores of kindly the one or form to the other a few years ago now remains in and pleasant wit, which kept the "benches in a roar;" but his body. He next proceeded to advert to the necessity for acquiring a later, as he approached the end, he entered on more serious knowledge of facts as the ony basis for philosophical reasoning argument, and eloquently pointed out the difficulties in the on these higher parts of the study of medicine, and reminded way of the student; the mode in which these are to be met; his hearers that their express duty now was to acquire a know- the realities of true science, and the necessity of duly exercising ledge of facts, warning them against wasting time, which ought probity and honour in the professional strife. As the lecturer to be appropriated to this purpose, in following out inquiries concluded, the enthusiasm of the audience was loudly evinced, which, in their proper place, and at their right time. might be and long continued.
interpretation
acquainted
speed
376
every
the most certain to lead them to
a
better
knowledge
of their
profession.
A considerable portion of the lecture was occupied in attempting to illustrate what was meant by a fact, and in what the
fallacy of
facts consisted. The lecturer endeavoured to show that
any atom of matter, standing alone in infinite space, having no sensible qualities and affecting no other atom of matter, was not a fact, so the very term "fact" implied of necessity a relation past or present between two or more substances; and it was impossible to represent any occurrence in nature in language which did not imply the existence of such relations. He reminded them that before Newton solved his problem, why the apple fell to the ground, no one knew that the moon gravitated to the earth by the same force which caused the apple to fall; and that the fact that the moon did not fall, would as
have been set against the assertion that she does gravitate; and it would have been alleged that as the one was true, the other must be false: whereas the falsehood lay only in the misof the relation between these bodies. He also attempted to show the difference between the acknowledged relations constitutingthe fact, and the explanation of such relations constituting the theory, by reference to the phenomena of sound and the hypothesis of an undulatory movement in the air, which, though carrying with it all the probability of truth, might yet be wholly overturned without altering the facts. He apologized for insisting on these somewhat obscure points, on the ground th.-t the progress of medical science was so much hindered by the absolute ignorance of too many medical thinkers and writers with respect to the right principles of reasoning; urging his hearers to lose no opportunity of making themselves with the subject. He put to them as a test of their acquaintance with the method of reasoning by induction, whether they could answer the question, why hundreds of inST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL. stances of any disease (say pneumonia) which had recovered after the administration of any particular remedy (say calomel), INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS BY DR. BARCLAY. afforded no proof whatever that that remedy had any power to DR. BARCLAY began with a few words of welcome to those cure the disease, and only suggested the barest probability that assembled on the occasion, apologizing for his own inexperience it had any beneficial influence whatever. Dr. Barclay then endeavoured to show them how they were as a lecturer, and claiming for the custom the advantage of its to proceed in the acquisition of the knowledge of facts, which an on which and wish friends could meet, offering opportunity was their present business, advising them rather to exercise each other happiness and prosperity, while it served the their minds in the study of the phenomena of disease than in purpose, with those more immediately engaged in the business the complex problem of the effect of remedies; recommending of the session, of a prompter’s bell, to announce the rising of them to take upon trust the teaching of the physicians and surthe curtain and the commencement of the drama; and, with geons of the hospital as to the powers of drugs in the cure of and when had done this well they would be best such an object in view, he regarded its very insignificance as disease, to unravelthey these mysteries when they began to think prepared its chief merit. and study for themselves, after they had said farewell to their He called on the younger part of his audience to consider present instructors. He touched very lightly on the relative seriously what was comprehended in the employment of the duties of their subsequent career as practitioners of medicine; word study-abstraction of thought, concentration of ideas, but took the opportunity of reminding them that they, no less than their patients, bore within their breasts the germs of an earnestness of purpose, industry, energy, determination; and immortal life. He called on them to allow this feeling; to while urging them to bring these necessary requisites to the measure the estimate which they formed of the pleasures and task on which they were entering, he reminded them that they trials of a day; to act now as they knew they must wish they could not really study medicine in the time allotted for their had done when, after the lapse of centuries, in another state would rise up before them, in the lorg vista of the curriculum; they were only now to learn the grammar and of existence, the vivid recollection of these their early years of life. past, vocabulary of that new language in which the thoughts of their And again, urging them to be honest, industrious, and conafter life were to be clothed. scientious, he invited them to the friendship of their teachers, The study of medicine he defined as the investigation of the the companionship of their fellows, and bid them heartily Godbehaviour of each separate molecule of which the body is comin setting out on their journey of life. posed, under every possible circumstance in which, during life, it can be placed; illustrating this definition by the changes going on in the necessary processes of thought and attention in which they were then engaged. He expressed his belief that GROSVENOR-PLACE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. all the arrangements of matter, all the structures of the body, DR. THUDICHUM’S INTRODUCTORY LECTURE. all the changes it undergoes, were originally constituted in subservience to this, the highest function of man’s being; and TEE theatre was well filled, and the lecturer kept the how these molecules of matter became incorporated pointed out audience in attentive good humour throughout. Dr. Thudichum " into the Ego" which throughout its existence remains one, took the feels his indivisible--that who sentient subject of method in the study of medicine as his up being unchangeable, own identity, whose sentiments and affections, whose limbs theme. He dwelt on the study of anatomy, surgery, physioand organs, are verily and indeed his, a part of his being,logy, chemistry, forensic medicine, materia medica, and botany. although not an atom of that matter which gave expression to In these descriptions the lecturer introduced stores of kindly the one or form to the other a few years ago now remains in and pleasant wit, which kept the "benches in a roar;" but his body. He next proceeded to advert to the necessity for acquiring a later, as he approached the end, he entered on more serious knowledge of facts as the ony basis for philosophical reasoning argument, and eloquently pointed out the difficulties in the on these higher parts of the study of medicine, and reminded way of the student; the mode in which these are to be met; his hearers that their express duty now was to acquire a know- the realities of true science, and the necessity of duly exercising ledge of facts, warning them against wasting time, which ought probity and honour in the professional strife. As the lecturer to be appropriated to this purpose, in following out inquiries concluded, the enthusiasm of the audience was loudly evinced, which, in their proper place, and at their right time. might be and long continued.
interpretation
acquainted
speed
376