Observations in defence of a Bill lately brought into Parliament, for erecting the Corporation of Surgeons of London into a College; and for granting and confirming to such College certain rights and privileges: including a sketch of the history of surgery in England / [Thomas Chevalier].

  • Chevalier, Thomas, 1767-1824.
Date:
1797
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations in defence of a Bill lately brought into Parliament, for erecting the Corporation of Surgeons of London into a College; and for granting and confirming to such College certain rights and privileges: including a sketch of the history of surgery in England / [Thomas Chevalier]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    / But it is the object of a Science, and not the ftate of it, from which we are to eflimate its im¬ portance. The latter depends on a variety of cir- cumftances, which are fubject to great uncertainty. The Spirit of the times, and the patronage of the public mull concur with the genius and induftry of individuals, or few advances can be made in a profeffion like Surgery, which, however contempti¬ ble it may appear to thofe who do not underhand it, opens on every path of human enquiry, and calls for the clofe and perfevering reflection of a vigorous and comprehenfive mind. * But the fpirit of the times, in this and the neigh¬ bouring countries, was long before it looked with a foftering eye on any part of medical Science. For many centuries Phyfic was almoft entirely in the hands of the clergy, who by involving it in fuper- flition, found it a very profitable employ, and in many inftances an introduction to preferment*. Surgery lay under greater difadvantages ; a prin¬ cipal part of it, the care of the wounded and lame, being commonly entruffed to women, and ignorant pretenderst. We are told indeed that when Galen came from Pergamos to Rome, near the clofe of the fecond century, he found it practifed there as a feparate branch of the medical art£. C '/But * See Rymer’s Fasdera, Tom. II. p. 1035—1036. Tom. X. p. 263, &c. t Pafquier, Recherches de la France, p. 862. J Bernier, p. 2. c, iii.