medical essays-第68部分

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The　reports　of　the　librarian　have　told　or　will　tell　you；　in　some　detail；　what　has　been　accomplished　since　the　21st　of　December；　1874；　when　six　gentlemen　met　at　the　house　of　Dr。　Henry　Ingersoll　Bowditch　to　discuss　different　projects　for　a　medical　library。　　In　less　than　four　years　from　that　time；　by　the　liberality　of　associations　and　of　individuals；　this　collection　of　nearly　ten　thousand　volumes；　of　five　thousand　pamphlets；　and　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　journals；　regularly　received；all　worthily　sheltered　beneath　this　lofty　roof；　has　come　into　being　under　our　eyes。　　It　has　sprung　up；　as　it　were；　in　the　night　like　a　mushroom；　it　stands　before　us　in　full　daylight　as　lusty　as　an　oak；　and　promising　to　grow　and　flourish　in　the　perennial　freshness　of　an　evergreen。

To　whom　does　our　profession　owe　this　already　large　collection　of　books；　exceeded　in　numbers　only　by　four　or　five　of　the　most　extensive　medical　libraries　in　the　country；　and　lodged　in　a　building　so　well　adapted　to　its　present　needs？　　We　will　not　point　out　individually　all　those　younger　members　of　the　profession　who　have　accomplished　what　their　fathers　and　elder　brethren　had　attempted　and　partially　achieved。　　We　need　not　write　their　names　on　these　walls；　after　the　fashion　of　those　civic　dignitaries　who　immortalize　themselves　on　tablets　of　marble　and　gates　of　iron。　　But　their　contemporaries　know　them　well；　and　their　descendants　will　not　forget　them；the　men　who　first　met　together；　the　men　who　have　given　their　time　and　their　money；　the　faithful　workers；　worthy　associates　of　the　strenuous　agitator　who　gave　no　sleep　to　his　eyes；　no　slumber　to　his　eyelids；　until　he　had　gained　his　ends；　the　untiring；　imperturbable；　tenacious；　irrepressible；　all…subduing　agitator　who　neither　rested　nor　let　others　rest　until　the　success　of　the　project　was　assured。　　If；　against　his　injunctions；　I　name　Dr。　James　Read　Chadwick；　it　is　only　my　revenge　for　his　having　kept　me　awake　so　often　and　so　long　while　he　was　urging　on　the　undertaking　in　which　he　has　been　preeminently　active　and　triumphantly　successful。

We　must　not　forget　the　various　medical　libraries　which　preceded　this：　that　of　an　earlier　period；　when　Boston　contained　about　seventy　regular　practitioners；　the　collection　afterwards　transferred　to　the　Boston　Athenaeum；　the　two　collections　belonging　to　the　University；　the　Treadwell　Library　at　the　Massachusetts　General　Hospital；　the　collections　of　the　two　societies；　that　for　Medical　Improvement　and　that　for　Medical　Observation；　and　more　especially　the　ten　thousand　volumes　relating　to　medicine　belonging　to　our　noble　public　city　library；too　many　blossoms　on　the　tree　of　knowledge；　perhaps；　for　the　best　fruit　to　ripen。　　But　the　Massachusetts　Medical　Society　now　numbers　nearly　four　hundred　members　in　the　city　of　Boston。　　The　time　had　arrived　for　a　new　and　larger　movement。　　There　was　needed　a　place　to　which　every　respectable　member　of　the　medical　profession　could　obtain　easy　access；　where；　under　one　roof；　all　might　find　the　special　information　they　were　seeking；　where　the　latest　medical　intelligence　should　be　spread　out　daily　as　the　shipping　news　is　posted　on　the　bulletins　of　the　exchange；　where　men　engaged　in　a　common　pursuit　could　meet；　surrounded　by　the　mute　oracles　of　science　and　art；　where　the　whole　atmosphere　should　be　as　full　of　professional　knowledge　as　the　apothecary's　shop　is　of　the　odor　of　his　medicaments。　　This　was　what　the　old　men　longed　for；the　prophets　and　kings　of　the　profession；　who

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Desired　it　long；　　　　　　But　died　without　the　sight。〃

This　is　what　the　young　men　and　those　who　worked　under　their　guidance　undertook　to　give　us。　　And　now　such　a　library；　such　a　reading…room；　such　an　exchange；　such　an　intellectual　and　social　meeting　place；　we　be　hold　a　fact；　plain　before　us。　　The　medical　profession　of　our　city；　and；　let　us　add；　of　all　those　neighboring　places　which　it　can　reach　with　its　iron　arms；　is　united　as　never　before　by　the　commune　vinculum；　the　common　bond　of　a　large；　enduring；　ennobling；　unselfish　interest。　　It　breathes　a　new　air　of　awakened　intelligence。　　It　marches　abreast　of　the　other　learned　professions；　which　have　long　had　their　extensive　and　valuable　centralized　libraries；　abreast　of　them；　but　not　promising　to　be　content　with　that　position。　　What　glorifies　a　town　like　a　cathedral？　　What　dignifies　a　province　like　a　university？　What　illuminates　a　country　like　its　scholarship；　and　what　is　the　nest　that　hatches　scholars　but　a　library？

The　physician；　some　may　say；　is　a　practical　man　and　has　little　use　for　all　this　book…learning。　　Every　student　has　heard　Sydenham's　reply　to　Sir　Richard　Blackmore's　question　as　to　what　books　he　should　read；　meaning　medical　books。　　〃Read　Don　Quixote；〃　was　his　famous　answer。　But　Sydenham　himself　made　medical　books　and　may　be　presumed　to　have　thought　those　at　least　worth　reading。　　Descartes　was　asked　where　was　his　library；　and　in　reply　held　up　the　dissected　body　of　an　animal。　But　Descartes　made　books；　great　books；　and　a　great　many　of　them。　　A　physician　of　common　sense　without　erudition　is　better　than　a　learned　one　without　common　sense；　but　the　thorough　master　of　his　profession　must　have　learning　added　to　his　natural　gifts。

It　is　not　necessary　to　maintain　the　direct　practical　utility　of　all　kinds　of　learning。　　Our　shelves　contain　many　books　which　only　a　certain　class　of　medical　scholars　will　be　likely　to　consult。　　There　is　a　dead　medical　literature；　and　there　is　a　live　one。　　The　dead　is　not　all　ancient；　the　live　is　not　all　modern。　　There　is　none；　modern　or　ancient；　which；　if　it　has　no　living　value　for　the　student；　will　not　teach　him　something　by　its　autopsy。　　But　it　is　with　the　live　literature　of　his　profession　that　the　medical　practitioner　is　first　of　all　concerned。

Now　there　has　come　a　great　change　in　our　time　over　the　form　in　which　living　thought　presents　itself。　　The　first　printed　books；the　incunabula；were　inclosed　in　boards　of　solid　oak；　with　brazen　clasps　and　corners；　the　boards　by　and　by　were　replaced　by　pasteboard　covered　with　calf　or　sheepskin；　then　cloth　came　in　and　took　the　place　of　leather；　then　the　pasteboard　was　covered　with　paper　instead　of　cloth；　and　at　this　day　the　quarterly；　the　monthly；　the　weekly　periodical　in　its　flimsy　unsupported　dress　of　paper；　and　the　daily　journal；　naked　as　it　came　from　the　womb　of　the　press；　hold　the　larger　part　of　the　fresh　reading　we　live　upon。　　We　must　have　the　latest　thought　in　its　latest　expression；　the　page　must　be　newly　turned　like　the　morning　bannock；　the　pamphlet　must　be　newly　opened　like　the　ante…prandial　oyster。

Thus　a　library；　to　meet　the　need　of　our　time；　must　take；　and　must　spread　out　in　a　convenient　form；　a　great　array　of　periodicals。　　Our　active　practitioners　read　these　by　preference　over　almost　everything　else。　　Our　specialists；　more　particularly；　depend　on　the　month's　product；　on　the　yearly　crop　of　new　facts；　new　suggestions；　new　contrivances；　as　much　as　the　farmer　on　the　annual　yield　of　his　acres。　One　of　the　first　wants；　then；　of　the　profession　is　supplied　by　our　library　in　its　great　array　of　periodicals　from　many　lands；　in　many　languages。　　Such　a　number　of　medical　periodicals　no　private　library　would　have　room　for；　no　private　person　would　pay　for；　or　flood　his　tables　with　if　they　were　sent　him　for　nothing。　　These；　I　think；　with　the　reports　of　medical　societies　and　the　papers　contributed　to　them；　will　form　the　most　attractive　part　of　our　accumulated　medical　treasures。　　They　will　be　also　one　of　our　chief　expenses；　for　these　journals　must　be　bound　in　volumes　and　they　require　a　great　amount　of　shelf…room；　all　this；　in　addition　to　the　cost　of　subscription　for　those　which　are　not　furnished　us　gratuitously。

It　is　true　that　the　value　of　old　scientific　periodicals　is；　other　things　being　equal；　in　the　inverse　ratio　of　their　age；　for　the　obvious　reason　that　what　is　most　valuable　in　the　earlier　volumes　of　a　series　is　drained　off　into　the　standard　works　with　which　the　intelligent　practitioner　is　supposed　to　be　familiar。　　But　no　extended　record　of　facts　grows　too　old　to　be　useful；　provided　only　that　we　have　a　ready　and　sure　way　of　getting　at　the　particular　fact　or　facts　we　are　in　search　of。

And　this　leads　me　to　speak　of　what　I　conceive　to　be　one　of　the　principal　tasks　to　be　performed　by　the　present　and　the　coming　generation　of　scholars；　not　only　in　the　medical；　but　in　every　department　of　knowledge。　　I　mean　the　formation　of　indexes；　and　more　especially　of　indexes　to　periodical　literature。

This　idea　has　long　been　working　in　the　minds　of　scholars；　and　all　who　have　had　occasion　to　follow　out　any　special　subject。　　I　have　a　right　to　speak　of　it；　for　I　long　ago　attempted　to　supply　the　want　of　indexes　in　some　small　measure　for　my　own　need。　　I　had　a　very　complete　set　of　the　〃American　Journal　of　the　Medical　Sciences；〃　an　entire　set　of　the　〃North　American　Review；〃　and　many　volumes　of　the　reprints　of　the　three　leading　British　quarterlies。　　Of　what　use　were　they　to　me　without　general　indexes？　　I　looked　them　all　through　carefully　and　made　classified　lists　of　all　the　articles　I　thought　I　should　most　care　to　read。　　But　they　soon　outgrew　my　lists。　　The　〃North　American　Review　〃　kept　filling　up　shelf　after　shelf；　rich　in　articles　which　I　often　wanted　to　consult；　but　what　a　labor　to　find　them；　until　the　index　of　Mr。　Gushing；　published　a　few　months　since；　made　the　contents　of　these　hundred　and　twenty　volumes　as　easily　accessible　as　the　words　in　a　dictionary！　　I　had　a；　copy　of　good　Dr。　Abraham　Rees's　Cyclopaedia；　a　treasure…house　to　my　boyhood　which　has　not　lost　its　value　for　me　in　later　years。　　But　where　to　look　for　what　I　wanted？　　I　wished　to　know；　for　instance；　what　Dr。　Burney　had　to　say　about　singing。　　Who　would　have　looked　for　it　under　the　Italian　word　cantare？　　I　was　curious　to　learn　something　of　the　etchings　of　Rembrandt；　and　where　should　I　find　it　but　under　the　head　〃Low　Countries；　Engravers　of　the；〃an　elaborate　and　most　valuable　article　of　a　hundred　double…columned　close…printed　quarto　pages；　to　which　no　reference；　even；　is　made　under　the　title　Rembrandt。

There　was　nothing　to　be　done；　if　I　wanted　to　know　where　that　which　I　specially　cared　for　was　to　be　found　in　my　Rees's　Cyclopaedia；　but　to　look　over　every　page　of　its　forty…one　quarto　volumes　and　make　out　a　brief　list　of　matters　of　interest