medical essays-第69部分

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a　brief　list　of　matters　of　interest　which　I　could　not　find　by　their　titles；　and　this　I　did；　at　no　small　expense　of　time　and　trouble。

Nothing；　therefore；　could　be　more　pleasing　to　me　than　to　see　the　attention　which　has　been　given　of　late　years　to　the　great　work　of　indexing。　　It　is　a　quarter　of　a　century　since　Mr。　Poole　published　his　〃Index　to　Periodical　Literature；〃　which　it　is　much　to　be　hoped　is　soon　to　appear　in　a　new　edition；　grown　as　it　must　be　to　formidable　dimensions　by　the　additions　of　so　long　a　period。　　The　〃British　and　Foreign　Medical　Review；〃　edited　by　the　late　Sir　John　Forties；　contributed　to　by　Huxley；　Carpenter；　Laycock；　and　others　of　the　most　distinguished　scientific　men　of　Great　Britain；　has　an　index　to　its　twenty…four　volumes；　and　by　its　aid　I　find　this　valuable　series　as　manageable　as　a　lexicon。　　The　last　edition　of　the　〃Encyclopaedia　Britannica〃　had　a　complete　index　in　a　separate　volume；　and　the　publishers　of　Appletons'　〃American　Cyclopaedia〃　have　recently　issued　an　index　to　their　useful　work；　which　must　greatly　add　to　its　value。　I　have　already　referred　to　the　index　to　the　〃North　American　Review；〃　which　to　an　American；　and　especially　to　a　New　Englander；　is　the　most　interesting　and　most　valuable　addition　of　its　kind　to　our　literary　apparatus　since　the　publication　of　Mr。　Allibone's　〃Dictionary　of　Authors。〃　　I　might　almost　dare　to　parody　Mr。　Webster's　words　in　speaking　of　Hamilton；　to　describe　what　Mr。　Gushing　did　for　the　solemn　rows　of　back　volumes　of　our　honored　old　Review　which　had　been　long　fossilizing　on　our　shelves：　〃He　touched　the　dead　corpse　of　the　'North　American；'〃　and　it　sprang　to　its　feet。〃　　A　library　of　the　best　thought　of　the　best　American　scholars　during　the　greater　portion　of　the　century　was　brought　to　light　by　the　work　of　the　indexmaker　as　truly　as　were　the　Assyrian　tablets　by　the　labors　of　Layard。

A　great　portion　of　the　best　writing　and　reading　literary；　scientific；　professional；　miscellaneouscomes　to　us　now；　at　stated　intervals；　in　paper　covers。　　The　writer　appears；　as　it　were；　in　his　shirt…sleeves。　As　soon　as　he　has　delivered　his　message　the　book…binder　puts　a　coat　on　his　back；　and　he　joins　the　forlorn　brotherhood　of　〃back　volumes；〃　than　which；　so　long　as　they　are　unindexed；　nothing　can　be　more　exasperating。　　Who　wants　a　lock　without　a　key；　a　ship　without　a　rudder；　a　binnacle　without　a　compass；　a　check　without　a　signature；　a　greenback　without　a　goldback　behind　it？

I　have　referred　chiefly　to　the　medical　journals；　but　I　would　include　with　these　the　reports　of　medical　associations；　and　those　separate　publications　which；　coming　in　the　form　of　pamphlets；　heap　themselves　into　chaotic　piles　and　bundles　which　are　worse　than　useless；　taking　up　a　great　deal　of　room；　and　frightening　everything　away　but　mice　and　mousing　antiquarians；　or　possibly　at　long　intervals　some　terebrating　specialist。

Arranged；　bound；　indexed；　all　these　at　once　become　accessible　and　valuable。　　I　will　take　the　first　instance　which　happens　to　suggest　itself。　　How　many　who　know　all　about　osteoblasts　and　the　experiments　of　Ollier；　and　all　that　has　grown　out　of　them；　know　where　to　go　for　a　paper　by　the　late　Dr。　A。　L。　Peirson　of　Salem；　published　in　the　year　1840；　under　the　modest　title；　Remarks　on　Fractures？　　And　if　any　practitioner　who　has　to　deal　with　broken　bones　does　not　know　that　most　excellent　and　practical　essay；　it　is　a　great　pity；　for　it　answers　very　numerous　questions　which　will　be　sure　to　suggest　themselves　to　the　surgeon　and　the　patient　as　no　one　of　the　recent　treatises；　on　my　own　shelves；　at　least；　can　do。

But　if　indexing　is　the　special　need　of　our　time　in　medical　literature；　as　in　every　department　of　knowledge；　it　must　be　remembered　that　it　is　not　only　an　immense　labor；　but　one　that　never　ends。　　It　requires；　therefore；　the　cooperation　of　a　large　number　of　individuals　to　do　the　work；　and　a　large　amount　of　money　to　pay　for　making　its　results　public　through　the　press。　　When　it　is　remembered　that　the　catalogue　of　the　library　of　the　British　Museum　is　contained　in　nearly　three　thousand　large　folios　of　manuscript；　and　not　all　its　books　are　yet　included；　the　task　of　indexing　any　considerable　branch　of　science　or　literature　looks　as　if　it　were　well　nigh　impossible。　But　many　hands　make　light　work。　　An　〃Index　Society〃　has　been　formed　in　England；　already　numbering　about　one　hundred　and　seventy　members。　It　aims　at　〃supplying　thorough　indexes　to　valuable　works　and　collections　which　have　hitherto　lacked　them；　at　issuing　indexes　to　the　literature　of　special　subjects；　and　at　gathering　materials　for　a　general　reference　index。〃　　This　society　has　published　a　little　treatise　setting　forth　the　history　and　the　art　of　indexing；　which　I　trust　is　in　the　hands　of　some　of　our　members；　if　not　upon　our　shelves。

Something　has　been　done　in　the　same　direction　by　individuals　in　our　own　country；　as　we　have　already　seen。　　The　need　of　it　in　the　department　of　medicine　is　beginning　to　be　clearly　felt。　　Our　library　has　already　an　admirable　catalogue　with　cross　references；　the　work　of　a　number　of　its　younger　members　cooperating　in　the　task。　　A　very　intelligent　medical　student；　Mr。　William　D。　Chapin；　whose　excellent　project　is　indorsed　by　well…known　New　York　physicians　and　professors；　proposes　to　publish　a　yearly　index　to　original　communications　in　the　medical　journals　of　the　United　States；　classified　by　authors　and　subjects。　　But　it　is　from　the　National　Medical　Library　at　Washington　that　we　have　the　best　promise　and　the　largest　expectations。　　That　great　and　growing　collection　of　fifty　thousand　volumes　is　under　the　eye　and　hand　of　a　librarian　who　knows　books　and　how　to　manage　them。　For　libraries　are　the　standing　armies　of　civilization；　and　an　army　is　but　a　mob　without　a　general　who　can　organize　and　marshal　it　so　as　to　make　it　effective。　　The　〃Specimen　Fasciculus　of　a　Catalogue　of　the　National　Medical　Library；〃　prepared　under　the　direction　of　Dr。　Billings；　the　librarian；　would　have　excited　the　admiration　of　Haller；　the　master　scholar　in　medical　science　of　the　last　century；　or　rather　of　the　profession　in　all　centuries；　and　if　carried　out　as　it　is　begun　will　be　to　the　nineteenth　all　and　more　than　all　that　the　three　BibliothecaeAnatomica；　Chirurgica；　and　Medicinae…Practicaewere　to　the　eighteenth　century。　　I　cannot　forget　the　story　that　Agassiz　was　so　fond　of　telling　of　the　king　of　Prussia　and　Fichte。　　It　was　after　the　humiliation　and　spoliation　of　the　kingdom　by　Napoleon　that　the　monarch　asked　the　philosopher　what　could　be　done　to　regain　the　lost　position　of　the　nation。　　〃Found　a　great　university；　Sire；〃　was　the　answer；　and　so　it　was　that　in　the　year　1810　the　world…renowned　University　of　Berlin　came　into　being。　　I　believe　that　we　in　this　country　can　do　better　than　found　a　national　university；　whose　professors　shall　be　nominated　in　caucuses；　go　in　and　out；　perhaps；　like　postmasters；　with　every　change　of　administration；　and　deal　with　science　in　the　face　of　their　constituency　as　the　courtier　did　with　time　when　his　sovereign　asked　him　what　o'clock　it　was：　〃Whatever　hour　your　majesty　pleases。〃　　But　when　we　have　a　noble　library　like　that　at　Washington；　and　a　librarian　of　exceptional　qualifications　like　the　gentleman　who　now　holds　that　office；　I　believe　that　a　liberal　appropriation　by　Congress　to　carry　out　a　conscientious　work　for　the　advancement　of　sound　knowledge　and　the　bettering　of　human　conditions；　like　this　which　Dr。　Billings　has　so　well　begun；　would　redound　greatly　to　the　honor　of　the　nation。　　It　ought　to　be　willing　to　be　at　some　charge　to　make　its　treasures　useful　to　its　citizens；　and；　for　its　own　sake；　especially　to　that　class　which　has　charge　of　health；　public　and　private。　　This　country　abounds　in　what　are　called　〃self…made　men；〃　and　is　justly　proud　of　many　whom　it　thus　designates。　　In　one　sense　no　man　is　self…made　who　breathes　the　air　of　a　civilized　community。　　In　another　sense　every　man　who　is　anything　other　than　a　phonograph　on　legs　is　self…made。　　But　if　we　award　his　just　praise　to　the　man　who　has　attained　any　kind　of　excellence　without　having　had　the　same　advantages　as　others　whom；　nevertheless；　he　has　equalled　or　surpassed；　let　us　not　be　betrayed　into　undervaluing　the　mechanic's　careful　training　to　his　business；　the　thorough　and　laborious　education　of　the　scholar　and　the　professional　man。

Our　American　atmosphere　is　vocal　with　the　flippant　loquacity　of　half　knowledge。　　We　must　accept　whatever　good　can　be　got　out　of　it；　and　keep　it　under　as　we　do　sorrel　and　mullein　and　witchgrass；　by　enriching　the　soil；　and　sowing　good　seed　in　plenty；　by　good　teaching　and　good　books；　rather　than　by　wasting　our　time　in　talking　against　it。　　Half　knowledge　dreads　nothing　but　whole　knowledge。

I　have　spoken　of　the　importance　and　the　predominance　of　periodical　literature；　and　have　attempted　to　do　justice　to　its　value。　　But　the　almost　exclusive　reading　of　it　is　not　without　its　dangers。　　The　journals　contain　much　that　is　crude　and　unsound；　the　presumption；　it　might　be　maintained；　is　against　their　novelties；　unless　they　come　from　observers　of　established　credit。　　Yet　I　have　known　a　practitioner；perhaps　more　than　one；who　was　as　much　under　the　dominant　influence　of　the　last　article　he　had　read　in　his　favorite　medical　journal　as　a　milliner　under　the　sway　of　the　last　fashion…　plate。　　The　difference　between　green　and　seasoned　knowledge　is　very　great；　and　such　practitioners　never　hold　long　enough　to　any　of　their　knowledge　to　have　it　get　seasoned。

It　is　needless　to　say；　then；　that　all　the　substantial　and　permanent　literature　of　the　profession　should　be　represented　upon　our　shelves。　Much　of　it　is　there　already；　and　as　one　private　library　after　another　falls　into　this　by　the　natural　law　of　gravitation；　it　will　gradually　acquire　all　that　is　most　valuable　almost　without　effort。　　A　scholar　should　not　be　in　a　hurry　to　part　with　his　books。　　They　are　probably　more　valuable　to　him　than　they　can　be　to　any　other　individual。　　What　Swedenborg　called　〃correspondence〃　has　established　itself　between　his　intelligence　and　the　volumes　which　wall　him　within　their　sacred　inclosure。　　Napoleon　said　that　his　mind　was　as　if　furnished　with　drawers；he　drew　out　each　as　he　wanted　its　contents；　and　closed　it　at　will　when　done　with　them。　　The　scholar's　mind；　to　use　a　similar　comparison；　is　furnished　with　shelves；