National and municipal relations of the medical profession / by William Pepper.

Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: National and municipal relations of the medical profession / by William Pepper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    genius is passed down the line of these immortals and lights up the ages with the splendor of their achievements. But it is sad to reflect upon what has been done as contrasted with what might have been. The dense ignorance of rulers and masses on scientific questions ; the slow progress of sound, useful education among the people; the huge claims of imperialism and of militarism ; the wanton waste of lux- ury, have retarded research, have left but paltry sums available for the diffusion of knowledge, have hindered the embodiment in legis- lation and in actuality of much that would help the healiug of the nations. The sad divisions in the ranks of the medical profession and the absence of proper organization are also largely responsible for the scant attention paid to the claims of science and of prevent- ive medicine. Surely we must cherish strong hopes that ere long some fair and honest way may open to unite all true-hearted medi- cal men in the common cause of studying nature, of seeking truth, and of relieving the sufferings of humanity. And if we must still wait for the day when all sects in medical practice shall be absorbed and united in the spread of rational and scientific medicine, there can be no excuse for any delay in the pressing duty of the hour— the duty of organizing for the prevention of disease. When the International Medical Congress met in Philadelphia in 1876 the address on “ Hygiene and Preventive Medicine,” delivered by the distinguished Bowditcli, himself a pioneer in sanitary science, was one of the most impressive utterances on that important occasion. The review he gave of the work of the previous century in this country in sanitary science was not flattering ; but with the fine enthusiasm which marked that gifted man he predicted the immedi- ate opening of the grandest epoch yet seen in the history of medi- cine. His closing appeal must be quoted: “Our present duty is organization, national, state, municipal and village. From the highest place in the national council down to the smallest village board of health we need organization. With these organizations we can study and often prevent disease.” Much had been accomplished, it is true, in preventive medicine before 1876, when Bowditch spoke ; but it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that the progress in the past twenty years has been greater than in the preceding twenty centuries.