An appeal to the medical profession, on the utility of the improved patent syringe, with directions for its several uses, shewing, by a statement of facts, the validity of the rights and claims of the patentee.

  • Read, John, 1760-1847.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An appeal to the medical profession, on the utility of the improved patent syringe, with directions for its several uses, shewing, by a statement of facts, the validity of the rights and claims of the patentee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    form, attacliments, direction, colour, the relations of muscles, the origin, course, and distribution of blood-vessels and nerves, and the disposition ot the viscera, are all said to be executed with great fidelity. M. Auzoux is said to employ, in the construction of these machines, a sort of paste which combines solidity with elasticity, which enables hiiO to represent parts which are extremely delicate, as well as those whicli are of large size,—which resists time and use, and is not liable to be attacked by insects. It is capable of being run into moulds, by which any number of casts may be obtained.* In the department of Physiology, we find little on which to con- gratulate ourselves. It w'ould be unreasonable, indeed, to expect that each short period which intervenes between these Historical Uetrespects should give birth to any brilliant discovery; but what we lament is, to perceive the danger which physiology at present runs of being brought into utter disrepute, from the manner in which it is cultivated by our continental neighbours, who seem unable to discover that the multipli- cation of experiments, w'ithout some rational object, can never contri- bute to the ad vancemeut of science. Too many of these w hich we find recorded in the foreign Journals relate to matters of mere curiosity, while others concern facts which we know sufficiently well without any fresh il- ustration. But the French will not believe that we see with our eyes, or hear with our ears, unless it be proved by experiment. Thus a rage for experiments is the prevailing mania, and every youth who would acquire a name gets him a supply of dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs, in order to ascertain—no matter what. “Voici un chien, qu’est ce qu’il faut faire.” Accident or the whim of the moment seems often to dictate the particular cruelty to which the animal is to be subjected, and the experiments are forthwith detailed with all possible minuteness of de- scription, and all the affectation of scientific precision. The next step towards becoming a physiologist of repute is to lay this account before the Institute, a committee of which is appointed to report upon it, and accordingly do repry t, that it is very clever and very learned ; that the author is an ornament to science and an honour to France. Those who are acquainted with the aspect which experimental physiology has lately assumed in that country, will be sensible that this picture is not too highly coloured: indeed, it is quite extraordinary to see with what facility the approbation of various learned bodies in Paris has recently been bestowed upon dissertations the most directly contradictory of each other. We beg not to be misunderstoml *. it is not to well-directed experiments, instituted to ascertain important objects, that vve object, but only to such as we have above alluded to. Viewing the matter in this light, our readers will excuse us if we decline to recapitulate all the discoveries receutly made by slicing away portions of the brain and cerebellum,—the mode of investigating the functions of the nervous system at present in fashion. Such, however, as appear worthy of attention w'e shall relate. Since our last Historical Retrospect, vve find many new volunteers in the '*•* Journal Universal dcs Sciences Medicales, 95 caliicr. t