Address to the graduates of the Medical Institution of Geneva College : delivered January 25th, 1842 / by C.B. Coventry.

  • Coventry, C. B. (Charles Brodhead), 1801-1875.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Address to the graduates of the Medical Institution of Geneva College : delivered January 25th, 1842 / by C.B. Coventry. 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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    account given by Catlin, of the respect every where paid even among the wildest tribes of Indians to the medicine man ; the account given by Stephens of the importuntty of the Bedouin Arabs for prescriptions; the frequent application for medicine among the ruins of Copan ; the success which has attended our missionaries, Parker in China, and Grant among the Nestorians in Persia, from the practice of their pro- fession as physicians. But perhaps no incident can illustrate it more strongly than one connected with the fate of the unfortunate Latncr. In one of the skirmishes with the Indians, in Florida, Dr. Lalner, who was a surgeon in the army, was wounded and taken prisoner. At a time, and under circumstances when no other lives were spared he was car- ried thirty miles on a litter by his savage foes, treated with every at- tention and kindness, with the view of preserving his life ; unfortu- nately one of the company, who had lost a brother in the engagement, more vindictive than the rest, watched his opportunity and when un- observed, shot him. But there are higher and nobler aspiiations in the constitution of man than the mere gratification of his physical wants, the satisfying of which are not essential to his existence, but neccssary in order to attain the highest degree of happiness of which he is sus- ceptible. The feeling of benevolence, like all the other moral and in- tellectual faculties, is strengthened by use, and its exercise in acts of kindness to the destitute and helpless constitute some of the noblest and purest enjoyments of life. One of the greatest advantages resulting from the possession of wealth is the means which it furnishes of ministering to the suffering of our fellow men. If you do not possess wealth, in the practice of your profession you possess a power of ministering to suffering hu- manity, often more valued than money. Even Doctor Samuel Johnson, though he speak sneeringly of the profession, is compelled to admit that every man has found in physicians great liberality and dignity of sentiment, very prompt effusions of beneficence and willingness to exert a lucrative art where there was no hope of lucre. The desire of the approbation of others, or of our fellow men, is often one of the strongest and most active impulses of our nature. We find it in all situations, from the puny school-boy who strives to reach the