Clinical lectures on certain diseases of the nervous system / by J.M. Charcot ; translated by E.P. Hurd.

  • Hurd E. P. (Edward Payson), 1838-1899.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Clinical lectures on certain diseases of the nervous system / by J.M. Charcot ; translated by E.P. Hurd. 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.

    26/186
    man, on the contrary, who would find out the nature of hypertrophic cirrhosis of the liver must make many careful autopsies and dissections, under circumstances that would be repulsive to most persons, and must spend wearisome hours over the microscope, he must, moreover, perform numerous vivisection experiments on animals in order to determine the conditions of the disease, and must patiently watch the results, and this involves a long and toilsome work. Nor can he hope as his reward that “the masses” will be interested in his work, but his recompense must ever be the satisfaction which he feels in his chosen pursuit, the consciousness of being use- ful, and the appreciation of the few whose approbation he prizes. A Zola or a Dumas may publish works which shall run through ninety-five editions. But Zola and Dumas will soon be forgotten, while Charcot will ever rank among the im- mortals of this earth. Charcot’s life, if it has not been a very eventful, has been a very busy one, and he is still in the flower of his manhood, just as able to do effectual work as ever. It is hoped that the cares of an ever increasing practice will still leave him time for original investigation. The present volume was culled from Vol. Ill of the “Lessons on Diseases of the Nervous System,” which has not heretofore been translated into English. Charcot’s studies of late have been rather in the department of the so-called func- tional diseases of the nervous system than of the organic. I have to thank Professor Charcot and his obliging pupil, Dr. Marie, of the Salpetrifere, for assistance in the preparation of this volume. E. P. Hurd, M. D. Newburyport, Sept 20th, 1888