medical essays-第58部分

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　same　as　if　he　had　never　learned　it。　　A　man　must　get　a　thing　before　he　can　forget　it。　　There　is　a　great　world　of　ideas　we　cannot　voluntarily　recall；　they　are　outside　the　limits　of　the　will。　　But　they　sway　our　conscious　thought　as　the　unseen　planets　influence　the　movements　of　those　within　the　sphere　of　vision。　　No　man　knows　how　much　he　knows；how　many　ideas　he　has；any　more　than　he　knows　how　many　blood…globules　roll　in　his　veins。　　Sometimes　accident　brings　back　here　and　there　one；　but　the　mind　is　full　of　irrevocable　remembrances　and　unthinkable　thoughts；　which　take　a　part　in　all　its　judgments　as　indestructible　forces。　　Some　of　you　must　feel　your　scientific　deficiencies　painfully　after　your　best　efforts。　　But　every　one　can　acquire　what　is　most　essential。　　A　man　of　very　moderate　ability　may　be　a　good　physician；　if　he　devotes　himself　faithfully　to　the　work。　　More　than　this；　a　positively　dull　man；　in　the　ordinary　acceptation　of　the　term；　sometimes　makes　a　safer　practitioner　than　one　who　has；　we　will　say；　five　per　cent。　more　brains　than　his　average　neighbor；　but　who　thinks　it　is　fifty　per　cent。　more。　　Skulls　belonging　to　this　last　variety　of　the　human　race　are　more　common；　I　may　remark；　than　specimens　like　the　Neanderthal　cranium；　a　cast　of　which　you　will　find　on　the　table　in　the　Museum。

Whether　the　average　talent　be　high　or　low；　the　Colleges　of　the　land　must　make　the　best　commodity　they　can　out　of　such　material　as　the　country　and　the　cities　furnish　them。　　The　community　must　have　Doctors　as　it　must　have　bread。　　It　uses　up　its　Doctors　just　as　it　wears　out　its　shoes；　and　requires　new　ones。　　All　the　bread　need　not　be　French　rolls；　all　the　shoes　need　not　be　patent　leather　ones；　but　the　bread　must　be　something　that　can　be　eaten；　and　the　shoes　must　be　something　that　can　be　worn。　　Life　must　somehow　find　food　for　the　two　forces　that　rub　everything　to　pieces；　or　burn　it　to　ashes；friction　and　oxygen。　　Doctors　are　oxydable　products；　and　the　schools　must　keep　furnishing　new　ones　as　the　old　ones　turn　into　oxyds；　some　of　first…　rate　quality　that　burn　with　a　great　light；　some　of　a　lower　grade　of　brilliancy；　some　honestly；　unmistakably；　by　the　grace　of　God；　of　moderate　gifts；　or　in　simpler　phrase；　dull。

The　public　will　give　every　honest　and　reasonably　competent　worker　in　the　healing　art　a　hearty　welcome。　　It　is　on　the　whole　very　loyal　to　the　Medical　Profession。　　Three　successive　years　have　borne　witness　to　the　feeling　with　which　this　Institution；　representing　it　in　its　educational　aspect；　is　regarded　by　those　who　are　themselves　most　honored　and　esteemed。　　The　great　Master　of　Natural　Science　bade　the　last　year's　class　farewell　in　our　behalf；　in　those　accents　which　delight　every　audience。　　The　Head　of　our　ancient　University　honored　us　in　the　same　way　in　the　preceding　season。　　And　how　can　we　forget　that　other　occasion　when　the　Chief　Magistrate　of　the　Commonwealth；　that　noble　citizen　whom　we　have　just　lost；　large…souled；　sweet…　natured；　always　ready　for　every　kind　office；　came　among　us　at　our　bidding；　and　talked　to　us　of　our　duties　in　words　as　full　of　wisdom　as　his　heart　was　of　goodness？

You　have　not　much　to　fear；　I　think；　from　the　fancy　practitioners。　The　vulgar　quackeries　drop　off；　atrophied；　one　after　another。　Homoeopathy　has　long　been　encysted；　and　is　carried　on　the　body　medical　as　quietly　as　an　old　wen。　　Every　year　gives　you　a　more　reasoning　and　reasonable　people　to　deal　with。　　See　how　it　is　in　Literature。　　The　dynasty　of　British　dogmatists；　after　lasting　a　hundred　years　and　more；　is　on　its　last　legs。　　Thomas　Carlyle；　third　in　the　line　of　descent；　finds　an　audience　very　different　from　those　which　listened　to　the　silver　speech　of　Samuel　Taylor　Coleridge　and　the　sonorous　phrases　of　Samuel　Johnson。　　We　read　him；　we　smile　at　his　clotted　English；　his　〃swarmery〃　and　other　picturesque　expressions；　but　we　lay　down　his　tirade　as　we　do　one　of　Dr。　Cumming's　interpretations　of　prophecy；　which　tells　us　that　the　world　is　coming　to　an　end　next　week　or　next　month；　if　the　weather　permits；not　otherwise；feeling　very　sure　that　the　weather　will　be　unfavorable。

It　is　the　same　common…sense　public　you　will　appeal　to。　　The　less　pretension　you　make；　the　better　they　will　like　you　in　the　long　run。　I　hope　we　shall　make　everything　as　plain　and　as　simple　to　you　as　we　can。　　I　would　never　use　a　long　word；　even；　where　a　short　one　would　answer　the　purpose。　　I　know　there　are　professors　in　this　country　who　〃ligate〃　arteries。　　Other　surgeons　only　tie　them；　and　it　stops　the　bleeding　just　as　well。　　It　is　the　familiarity　and　simplicity　of　bedside　instruction　which　makes　it　so　pleasant　as　well　as　so　profitable。　　A　good　clinical　teacher　is　himself　a　Medical　School。　　We　need　not　wonder　that　our　young　men　are　beginning　to　announce　themselves　not　only　as　graduates　of　this　or　that　College；　but　also　as　pupils　of　some　one　distinguished　master。

I　wish　to　close　this　Lecture；　if　you　will　allow　me　a　few　moments　longer；　with　a　brief　sketch　of　an　instructor　and　practitioner　whose　character　was　as　nearly　a　model　one　in　both　capacities　as　I　can　find　anywhere　recorded。

Dr。　JAMES　JACKSON；　Professor　of　the　Theory　and　Practice　of　Medicine　in　this　University　from　1812　to　1846；　and　whose　name　has　been　since　retained　on　our　rolls　as　Professor　Emeritus；　died　on　the　27th　of　August　last；　in　the　ninetieth　year　of　his　age。　　He　studied　his　profession；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　with　Dr。　Holyoke　of　Salem；　one　of　the　few　physicians　who　have　borne　witness　to　their　knowledge　of　the　laws　of　life　by　living　to　complete　their　hundredth　year。　　I　think　the　student　took　his　Old　Master；　as　he　always　loved　to　call　him；　as　his　model；　each　was　worthy　of　the　other；　and　both　were　bright　examples　to　all　who　come　after　them。

I　remember　that　in　the　sermon　preached　by　Dr。　Grazer　after　Dr。　Holyoke's　death；　one　of　the　points　most　insisted　upon　as　characteristic　of　that　wise　and　good　old　man　was　the　perfect　balance　of　all　his　faculties。　　The　same　harmonious　adjustment　of　powers；　the　same　symmetrical　arrangement　of　life；　the　same　complete　fulfilment　of　every　day's　duties；　without　haste　and　without　needless　delay；　which　characterized　the　master；　equally　distinguished　the　scholar。　　A　glance　at　the　life　of　our　own　Old　Master；　if　I　can　do　any　justice　at　all　to　his　excellences；　will　give　you　something　to　carry　away　from　this　hour's　meeting　not　unworthy　to　be　remembered。

》From　December；　1797；　to　October；　1799；　he　remained　with　Dr。　Holyoke　as　a　student；　a　period　which　he　has　spoken　of　as　a　most　interesting　and　most　gratifying　part　of　his　life。　　After　this　he　passed　eight　months　in　London；　and　on　his　return；　in　October；　1800；　he　began　business　in　Boston。

He　had　followed　Mr。　Cline；　as　I　have　mentioned；　and　was　competent　to　practise　Surgery。　　But　he　found　Dr。　John　Collins　Warren　had　already　occupied　the　ground　which　at　that　day　hardly　called　for　more　than　one　leading　practitioner；　and　wisely　chose　the　Medical　branch　of　the　profession。　　He　had　only　himself　to　rely　upon；　but　he　had　confidence　in　his　prospects；　conscious；　doubtless；　of　his　own　powers；　knowing　his　own　industry　and　determination；　and　being　of　an　eminently　cheerful　and　hopeful　disposition。　　No　better　proof　of　his　spirit　can　be　given　than　that；　just　a　year　from　the　time　when　he　began　to　practise　as　a　physician；　he　took　that　eventful　step　which　in　such　a　man　implies　that　he　sees　his　way　clear　to　a　position；　he　married　a　lady　blessed　with　many　gifts；　but　not　bringing　him　a　fortune　to　paralyze　his　industry。

He　had　not　miscalculated　his　chances　in　life。　　He　very　soon　rose　into　a　good　practice；　and　began　the　founding　of　that　reputation　which　grew　with　his　years；　until　he　stood　by　general　consent　at　the　head　of　his　chosen　branch　of　the　profession；　to　say　the　least；　in　this　city　and　in　all　this　region　of　country。　　His　skill　and　wisdom　were　the　last　tribunal　to　which　the　sick　and　suffering　could　appeal。　　The　community　trusted　and　loved　him；　the　profession　recognized　him　as　the　noblest　type　of　the　physician。　　The　young　men　whom　he　had　taught　wandered　through　foreign　hospitals；　where　they　learned　many　things　that　were　valuable；　and　many　that　were　curious；　but　as　they　grew　older　and　began　to　think　more　of　their　ability　to　help　the　sick　than　their　power　of　talking　about　phenomena；　they　began　to　look　back　to　the　teaching　of　Dr。　Jackson；　as　he；　after　his　London　experience；　looked　back　to　that　of　Dr。　Holyoke。　　And　so　it　came　to　be　at　last　that　the　bare　mention　of　his　name　in　any　of　our　medical　assemblies　would　call　forth　such　a　tribute　of　affectionate　regard　as　is　only　yielded　to　age　when　it　brings　with　it　the　record　of　a　life　spent　in　well　doing。

No　accident　ever　carries　a　man　to　eminence　such　as　his　in　the　medical　profession。　　He　who　looks　for　it　must　want　it　earnestly　and　work　for　it　vigorously；　Nature　must　have　qualified　him　in　many　ways；　and　education　must　have　equipped　him　with　various　knowledge；　or　his　reputation　will　evaporate　before　it　reaches　the　noon…day　blaze　of　fame。　　How　did　Dr。　Jackson　gain　the　position　which　all　conceded　to　him？　　In　the　answer　to　this　question　some　among　you　may　find　a　key　that　shall　unlock　the　gate　opening　on　that　fair　field　of　the　future　of　which　all　dream　but　which　not　all　will　ever　reach。

First　of　all；　he　truly　loved　his　profession。　　He　had　no　i