An introductory lecture delivered in the hall of the medical department of the St. Louis University, November 4th, 1845 / by M.L. Linton.

  • Linton, M. L. (Moses L.), 1808-1872.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introductory lecture delivered in the hall of the medical department of the St. Louis University, November 4th, 1845 / by M.L. Linton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    [7] erer dreamed of in their philosophy. Old systems, the frost work rf fancy, are melting away before the advancing lights of an exact soi- ence. Such is the ultimate destiny of error. It seems well enough es- tablished, until it is called in question and submitted to the test of facts. It is a house built on the sand, which cannot withstand the pelting storm of opposition, though it stands firmly enough in sunshine and calm when the aspen is hardly stirred. It is a castle of the air, which, when- ever sense and reason are brought to bear upon it, vanishes like any other unsubstantial pageant, and leaves not a wreck behind. Its ten- dency is to death and destruction. Not so eternal truth. It needs no puffing, no great names, no false and gleaming garniture, to keep it in vogue ; it goes forth in its naked and unadorned majesty ; it may be for a time laughed at, hooted at, derided. It may be for a time kept down, but its tendency is upward and onward. Obscured at one point, it breaks forth at another with tenfold brilliancy, crushed to earth it will rise again, The immortal years of God are htrs. I know not how far chemistry can go in clearing up and explaining the philosophy of man. There will always remain some things which it cannot account for, some of the higher phenomena of mind of which I shall speak presently ; but so far as man's physical nature is con- cerned, chemistry is the grand key with which its mysteries are to be unlocked. Its revelations in this department are but commenced, only its first seals are opened ; its first trumpets of triumph sounded and woe to time honored systems on account of the seals which are yet to be opened, the trumpets which are yet to sound! If what we have advanced be true it would be as reasonable to ex- pect to read without a knowledge of the Alphabet, as to understand the science of matter and man, without a knowledge of chemistry. It is plain that the study of chemisty is cs important in other departments of human research as in medicine, as it teaches the composition and prop- erties of all matter. It enables the Mineralogist to analyze his ores— the Geologist to comprehend the nature of the rocks, earths, and fossils of which the crust of the earth is composed ; the dyer, the principles of his art; the soap-maker, the brewer, the distiller, the farmer, the arti- san—all save labor and facilitate their operations in proportion as they are enlighted by, and act in accordance with chemical laws ;—in a word, every science and art which concerns matter and its laws, is aided more or less by this all-pervading study. It is the mother-science from which all the rest spring; — even the philosophy of mind cannot be so well understood without it—for mind is intimately blended with, and power- fully influenced by matter. Both are necessary in the study of anthrop- We have already remarked that chemistry is invading branches of science and art which were once thought to have no connection with it, thus converting them into departments of chemical science. This is as