On the past progress and the present aspects of medicine in relation chiefly to therapeutics : an address delivered before the North of Scotland Medical Association, July 25, 1874 / by Alexander Harvey.

  • Harvey, Alexander, 1811-1889.
Date:
1874
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the past progress and the present aspects of medicine in relation chiefly to therapeutics : an address delivered before the North of Scotland Medical Association, July 25, 1874 / by Alexander Harvey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    all kinds. And while the land has enormously increased in value, the wealth of the towns has become almost fabulously great. DISCOVERY THE ROOT OF PROGRESS. To go deeper into the matter and inquire how, or in what way, this mighty progress has been achieved, were beyond the time at my command, and very far beyond my ability. Yet, let me note one or two things. What has been achieved is but the applica¬ tions of science, “ Every science is the foundation of some art beneficial to man.” It is the successful prosecution of science that has gotten us the victory over nature. During the century now in view science has been prosecuted as it never was before, and with a success altogether unparalleled in the past history of our race. “ It is easy to extend the applications of a discovery once made.” easy comparatively. “The discovery is the great dilli- culty,” and it comes often when least looked for, and by a mere chance, or a happy guess. Otherwise, the world would now be greatly more advanced than it is—or would have reached its pre¬ sent stand point long ages ago. The science which has most of all contributed to the progress we have made is, CHEMISTRY : and this science may, in strict truth, be said to have had no ex¬ istence a hundred years ago It is precisely one hundred years this year that oxygen was discovered. It was in 1774 that oxygen was discovered by Priestly, and singularly enough it was rediscovered the year following, or in 1775, by Scheele. Singular this, in view of what I have just said, as to the difficulty and the often chance character of discovery. Singular, too, in view of the fact that our modern chemistry had its birth in that discovery of oxygen ! It dates its existence from that epoch. And if we steal but a few years, a ten or a dozen, from the previous centennade, and add it to this (as we fairly may) we have the evolution by Dr Black of his theory of “ Latent Heat,” a theory which in due time, yet within our cen¬ tennade. culminated in the hands of Dr Black’s pupil and assistant, James Watt, in the practical application of steam as a moving and mechanic power of the first magnitude. In 1781, we have the discovery by Cavendish of hydrogen, and of the composition of water. In 1807, we have the discovery by Sir Humphry Davy of the metals potassium and sodium. I have just jotted down two or three of the cardinal discoveries within the century, upon which has been reared the magnificent science of Chemistry—the dis¬ coveries that have been the most fruitful of results. This whole science is, in truth, the creation of the century now current. And what has this science done for the world—for mankind all the world over ? Nay, rather, what has it not done? Try t<« realise it, for I will not, even if I could, grapple with so large a subject. Yet I may say, with your full concurrence, that it has revolu¬ tionised the world, that more than any other it has ad anoed our knowledge, our civilization, and created our material wealth. And here let me note, in pissing, the fact, that this whole science, and what it has given us, and done for us, mankind ow'es to our