The Evolution of Modern Medicine: A Series of Lectures Delivered at Yale University on the Silliman Foundation in April, 1913Osler, William, Sir
History
The Evolution of Modern Medicine: A Series of Lectures Delivered at Yale University on the Silliman Foundation in April, 1913
Osler, William, Sir
Medicine -- History
the good in everything; and beauty, the effluence of fair works, shall
flow into the eye and ear like a health-giving breeze from a purer
region, and insensibly draw the soul from earliest years into likeness
and sympathy with the beauty of reason." The glory of this zeal for
the enrichment of this present life was revealed to the Greeks as to no
other people, but in respect to care for the body of the common man, we
have only seen its fulfilment in our own day, as a direct result of
the methods of research initiated by them. Everywhere throughout the
Hippocratic writings we find this attitude towards life, which has never
been better expressed than in the fine phrase, "Where there is love of
humanity there will be love of the profession." This is well brought
out in the qualifications laid down by Hippocrates for the study of
medicine. "Whoever is to acquire a competent knowledge of medicine ought
to be possessed of the following advantages: a natural disposition;
instruction; a favourable position for the study; early tuition; love of
labour; leisure. First of all, a natural talent is required, for when
nature opposes, everything else is vain; but when nature leads the way
to what is most excellent, instruction in the art takes place, which
the student must try to appropriate to himself by reflection, becoming a
nearly pupil in a place well adapted for instruction. He must also bring
to the task a love of labour and perseverance, so that the instruction
taking root may bring forth proper and abundant fruits." And the
directions given for the conduct of life and for the relation which the
physician should have with the public are those of our code of ethics
today. Consultations in doubtful cases are advised, touting for fees is
discouraged. "If two or more ways of medical treatment were possible,
the physician was recommended to choose the least imposing or
sensational; it was an act of 'deceit' to dazzle the patient's eye by
brilliant exhibitions of skill which might very well be dispensed
with. The practice of holding public lectures in order to increase
his reputation was discouraged in the physician, and he was especially
warned against lectures tricked out with quotations from the poets.
Physicians who pretended to infallibility in detecting even the minutest
departure from their prescriptions were laughed at; and finally,
there were precise by-laws to regulate the personal behaviour of the
physician. He was enjoined to observe the most scrupulous cleanliness,
and was advised to cultivate an elegance removed from all signs of
luxury, even down to the detail that he might use perfumes, but not in an
immoderate degree."(22) But the high-water mark of professional morality
is reached in the famous Hippocratic oath, which Gomperz calls "a
monument of the highest rank in the history of civilization." It is of
small matter whether this is of Hippocratic date or not, or whether
it has in it Egyptian or Indian elements: its importance lies in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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