An introductory lecture before the medical class of 1857-8 of Harvard University / by George C. Shattuck.

  • Shattuck, George C. (George Cheyne), 1813-1894.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introductory lecture before the medical class of 1857-8 of Harvard University / by George C. Shattuck. 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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    sister, and both children of the sun; for in all times, in the opinion of the multitude, witches, old women and impostors have had a competition with physi- cians. There is a book, published some three hun- dred years ago, which professes to give an account of the notable sayings and doings of the fools of England. The fool of Nottingham being asked by his master what profession or calling had the great- est number within its ranks in that town, replied, Truly, master, I think there be many more physi- cians in Nottingham than men of any other pur- suit. A very fool thou art, replied his master; and the fool rejoined, I will prove what I have said. He was encouraged to do so by the promise of a gold piece, and he went about the town with his face tied up as if he were suffering from a dreadful toothache. Every body he met pitied him, and every body too prescribed for him, and he noted their names and their nostrums, and being seen last by his master, and getting his prescription, he sub- mitted his whole list, and his master acknowledged that he had proved his saying. And can any one of us doubt that a similar investigation would lead to the same result in our day, and in the town in which we live 1 Is there not even reason to believe that the number of those who depend upon regularly educated physicians for council and advice, is less than in other countries and in other times % And yet, at the same time, we can maintain the supe- riority of our art in our own age, and we have no reason to be ashamed of the medical men of our own country. We can point to great progress made in the