Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

THE RISING GENERATION

OF

MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.

GENTLEMEN,

At a time when the Legislature of your country, so far from protecting you in the honourable exercise of the profession of medicine, holds out a bribe to the most unscrupulous of mankind to become your rivals in the practice of it ;-when the Schools which pretend to expound its principles are little better than collusive combinations of tradesmen, whose only object is your plunder;-I cannot refrain from earnestly urging upon you the necessity for circumspection. In the present condition of society there is not a more thorny path than Medicine.— Every avenue to its emoluments is crowded with competitors, exerting all their energies to outstrip each other in the race;-and you have only to look around you to be satisfied that Success in this is less frequently the reward of patient Merit than of superior dexterity in the arts of intrigue, and the skilful appliance of corrupt and secret means. How long shall the power of Truth succumb to the pedantry and mockery of Profession? How long will too credulous mankind continue to be deluded by collegiate and corporation craft ?—Arise!— awake from your slumber of confidence and security-examine for yourselves and cease to repose in the nothingness of a reputation, too often obtained by dishonest courses-or in grey hairs, not always redolent of wisdom. "In a second infancy," to use the words of an eloquent writer, "what hope remains ?-reason grows weaker-the passions, the baser passions, the inferior sentiments of the heart—avarice, envy, self-conceit and obstinacy grow stronger, and the habits we then have accompany us to the grave."

To open your eyes to the fallacy and fatality of doctrines proceeding from quarters such as these, I have printed and published. May the pages of Truth and Nature be your only rudder and compass throughout your professional lives!

CLARGES STREET, PICCADILLY.

16TH OCTOBER, 1839.

Your well-wisher,

S. DICKSON.

FALLACIES OF THE FACULTY.

LECTURE I.

INTRODUCTION-PHENOMENA OF HEALTH AND SLEEPDISEASE AND ITS TYPE-CAUSES.

GENTLEMEN,

WE daily hear of the march of intellect, of the progress or perfection of many branches of science. Has MEDICINE kept pace with the other arts of life,-has it fallen short or excelled them in the rivalry of improvement? This question will be variously answered. The more speculative and inexperienced members of the profession will naturally assign a high degree of excellence to their favourite pursuit; some of them may even smile at a question which they suppose has been long settled: but these rely for the most part on two great sources of error, the boasting assertions of disingenuous teachers, and the misrepresentations of the medical press; the greater number of which publications being, like the newspapers of the day, mere organs of party, have an object in crushing down and mystifying every truth that might militate against the interests of particular colleges and schools. The late Sir William Knighton, to much worldly wisdom and sagacity, joined a competent knowledge of the medical literature as well as medical science of his age. May I beg of you, Gentlemen, to lend me your attention while I give you his opinion of the later state of our art: "It is somewhat strange," he says, "that though in many arts and sciences, improvement has advanced in a step of regular progression from the first, in others it has kept no pace with time, and we look back to ancient excellence with wonder not unmixed with awe. Medicine seems to be one of those illfated arts, whose improvement bears no proportion to its antiquity. This is lamentably true, although Anatomy

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »