Rambles in Europe in 1839. With sketches of prominent surgeons, physicians, medical schools, hospitals, literary personages, scenery, etc / [William Gibson].

  • Gibson, William, 1788-1868.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rambles in Europe in 1839. With sketches of prominent surgeons, physicians, medical schools, hospitals, literary personages, scenery, etc / [William Gibson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/326 (page 4)
    or if so, only of equivocal, or possibly worse than equivocal, kind. It is true, attempts have recently been made, by two of our dis- tinguished physicians, Drs. Bell and Dunglison, to obviate these difficulties by republishing European works of acknowledged merit, and so far with considerable success; yet others of great value must, for various reasons, often remain unpublished through these channels. Independently of such considerations, however, who is there so entirely divested of curiosity as not to wish to know something of the private or public history of those who by genius or industry may have raised themselves above the level of their fellow-men] Certainly very few, if any such, can be found; hence the avidity with which details of the biographical kind have been, in all ages and countries, and among all classes of peo- ple, hunted up. Aware of this all-pervading principle in human nature, I had long been accustomed to furnish in my lectures per- sonal notices of remarkable medical men most likely to interest and benefit my pupils, by being held up as examples, especially those I had known, and could, therefore, speak of decisively. So much time, however, was consumed by these details, as to interfere with the essential business of the course—already too limited— and oblige me, in a measure, to discontinue the practice, much to my regret; knowing, as I do, the advantages possessed by the student who treasures up striking traits of distinguished writers and prominent practical men, whose names and opinions are brought forward continually in lectures, or made the subject of daily dis- course. Influenced by these considerations, it naturally occurred to me that I could not render my class a more essential service than by furnishing sketches of the remarkable men 1 had recently seen abroad, and whose society, from my peculiar position at home, I gained access to readily. An attempt of the kind I have accord- ingly made, being cheered in the progress of it, by a former class having stamped, publicly, their seal of approbation* upon two * Correspondence. Philadelphia, November 12, 1839. Dear Sir,—At a meeting of the Medical Class of the University of Penn- sylvania, held this day, Mr. M’Pheters being called to the chair, it was