Education, Medical -- Massachusetts -- 19th century; Homeopathy; Libraries, Medical -- Massachusetts -- 19th century; Medicine
Old theories, and old men who cling to them, must take themselves out of
the way as the new generation with its fresh thoughts and altered habits
of mind comes forward to take the place of that which is dying out. This
was a truth which the fiery old theorist found it very hard to learn,
and harder to bear, as it was forced upon him. For the hour of his
lecture was succeeded by that of a younger and far more popular
professor. As his lecture drew towards its close, the benches, thinly
sprinkled with students, began to fill up; the doors creaked open and
banged back oftener and oftener, until at last the sound grew almost
continuous, and the voice of the lecturer became a leonine growl as he
strove in vain to be heard over the noise of doors and footsteps.
Broussais was now sixty-two years old. The new generation had outgrown
his doctrines, and the Professor for whose hour the benches had filled
themselves belonged to that new generation. Gabriel Andral was little
more than half the age of Broussais, in the full prime and vigor of
manhood at thirty-seven years. He was a rapid, fluent, fervid, and
imaginative speaker, pleasing in aspect and manner,--a strong contrast
to the harsh, vituperative old man who had just preceded him. His
Clinique Medicale is still valuable as a collection of cases, and
his researches on the blood, conducted in association with Gavarret,
contributed new and valuable facts to science. But I remember him
chiefly as one of those instructors whose natural eloquence made it
delightful to listen to him. I doubt if I or my fellow-students did full
justice either to him or to the famous physician of Hotel Dieu, Chomel.
We had addicted ourselves almost too closely to the words of another
master, by whom we were ready to swear as against all teachers that ever
were or ever would be.
This object of our reverence, I might almost say idolatry, was one whose
name is well known to most of the young men before me, even to those who
may know comparatively little of his works and teachings. Pierre Charles
Alexandre Louis, at the age of forty-seven, as I recall him, was a tall,
rather spare, dignified personage, of serene and grave aspect, but with
a pleasant smile and kindly voice for the student with whom he came
into personal relations. If I summed up the lessons of Louis in two
expressions, they would be these; I do not hold him answerable for the
words, but I will condense them after my own fashion in French, and then
give them to you, expanded somewhat, in English:
Formez toujours des idees nettes.
Fuyez toujours les a peu pres.
Always make sure that you form a distinct and clear idea of the matter
you are considering.
Always avoid vague approximations where exact estimates are possible;
about so many,--about so much, instead of the precise number and
quantity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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