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393 They are greatly under the influence of emotion, and off wrote and laboured, was disjointed, fragmentary, and all but sympathetic or synergic action through the spinal centre. We3worthless. to the of To the vast of have only observe effect of derangement the stomach,, appreciate justly merits this profound genius, on we is its or of eroded viscera, the action of the heart, the skin, &c., , must consider first-What anatomy and what object? in connexion with experiment, to arrive at this conclusion. How it stood before the times of Bichat, and how since? What The experiments to which I allude are the following:-Let; were and what are the views which the public, as well as the the head be removed in a frog, the spinal marrow remaining, professional mind, had adopted in respect of it? Let us care- and the circulation be ready to fail: if we now crush the fully distinguish the philosophical from the practical, the stomach or a limb with a hammer, the action of the heart. theoretical from the empirical, true generalization from mere ceases. Let the conditions be the same in another frog, with. truism. But first, of the man himself. the addition that the spinal marrow is also removed: in this! Marie Francois Xavier Bichat was born in 1771, at Thoirette, case, no influence is perceived, on crushing a limb or the in Bresse, now called the department of the Jura. His father stomach, on the action of the heart. Now, the difference is was a physician and mayor of Poncin, in Bugez; but he had * the presence or absence of the spinal centre. This experiment, property at Thoirette, where Bichat happened to be born.* however, requires careful repetition. He was the eldest son of Jean Baptiste Bichat and of Marie Now, gentlemen, I think I may hope that you have a sound Rose Bichat. Intended for the practice of medicine, his educa- knowledge of the spinal system, as far as it extends; for it is tion was, according to the method usually followed in England, founded on experiments which your own eyes have seen, and the reverse of what usually prevails in France. He acquired which I think you will not forget. that first which most think should come last-practice before As in the present lecture I have brought before you the what is usually called theory, but what in reality merely means Anatomy and Physiology of that system, I propose, to-morrow, a scientific education; for practical medicine is not, nor ever to treat of its Pathology. was, based on theory. Be it so; but on this point, as on You will, if I am not mistaken, find your knowledge of the most others, two views are maintained, each having reasons in spinal system the key to the diagnosis of the diseases of the its favour. To be taught the application of drugs and instru- nervous system. It is to these, in some degree, what the ments for the relief of medical and surgical disease before being Stethoscope is to diseases of the heart and lung, the administra- taught the anatomy of the frame and its physiology, such as it is; tion of a new kind of knowledge being as that of a new mode its chemistry, its pathology, that mortifying record of well-in- of observation; and if to know the disease is not half the cure, tended efforts, seems at first sight empiricism to the last degree. it is the whole of the treatment. And so it is, in a sense. It might be said of the medical man To-morrow evening, then, I propose to discuss the subject of taught after this fashion, that he remains, and must remain, em- the Diseccses of the Spinal System. pirical for life. Were such education as universal as it was a few years ago throughout England, medicine must have remained sta- tionary for ages. Many people think that this is exactly what has happened; but, though admitting that centuries pass on, XAVIER BIGHAT: and medicine makes no clear and undoubted progress-that in has a literature the name- HIS LIFE AND LABOURS. medicine, fact, scarcely deserving still let us hope that it is not absolutely stationary. But be A Biographical and Philosophical Study. this as it may, with the purely practical man, the man who knows nothing of science, nothing of the frame, it becomes self- BY R. KNOX, M.D. evident that the trade he exercises is not a profession. Re- duced to a series of formulas and prescriptions, he observes certain certain and acts irre- My studies and and signs, appearances, accordingly, professional pursuits, especially my spective of the connexion of these symptoms with the organs avocation as a lecturer on anatomy, brought at least annually themselves. before me the consideration of the " true relation of anatomy Un the other hand, a highly theoretical, systematic education to medicine and On the other the of- surgery." hand, study has this defect in it: as it describes that and the transcendental, first, regards disease, comparative anatomy, embryology, which the student has never seen; second, it is apt to lead was from earliest the favourite and my years engrossing objecthim from to the scientific, of all and led me to practical pursuits purely unfitting my private studies, necessarily deeply him for the drama of life. To use a and if to the relation of to thereby great homely consider, possible discover, anatomy this kind of education is some to and to science. the exterior of man phrase, likened by placing philosophy Latterly, the cart before the horse-a plan which succeeds perfectly in seemed to me worthy of a separate and distinct study. Its delineation forms the object of the divine arts of England. grand paint- Bichat’s education, then, was at first practical-ought we and its must have a basis in the anatomy ing sculpture; study not rather to say empirical‘?-that is, his father taught him of that form, the exterior of which art’alone delineates. This the of and instruments before he had been led me to the of the relations of the application drugs pursue earnestly study a of the human frame. But neither this interior to the exterior of and more of taught knowledge living beings, especially false such I think it is-nor other, could arrest man himself. As I found that artists step-for any my inquiries proceeded, in its career a of the To and the divine had in- grand genius highest stamp. bring themselves, especially Leonardo, him in contact with other minds was to enable him and force of solved the simply stinctively, by genius, problem by to overtake and to all other men. Like their works; but had in rapidly outstrip every they explained nothing writing: man, he left each master far behind, and this with others more great speedily learning consideration, together fully set all he could teach over the so forth in work entitled " Great Artists and Great Ana- rapidly him, turning knowledge my in his own mind, and it under forms till led me to review in that work the true relations of acquired reproducing tomists,"* then unknown. From his earliest he saw the truth face to and art. A of task years anatomy philosophy, science, part my to face, without the of that veil which I now endeavour to it to esta- interposition hazy obscuring remained, complete: is, her true form from minds. blish the true relation of to the arts of ordinary anatomy practical Bichat, I have said, was born in 1771. He commenced his medicine and in a humble surgery-arts which, though moving studies at and it was there he first studied and in no entitled to the name of are Lyons, anatomy. sphere, way sciences, yet I can well what difficulties he must have useful to whatever statisticians and imagine encountered; eminently mankind, geo- he his career near the termination of a metricians affirm to the To establish the true began declining era, may contrary. as his it was his to close for of to medicine and which, regarded pursuits, destiny relation, then, descriptive anatomy surgery, ever. The of of all at the is the of the Memoir. anatomy man, and, indeed, animals, object following I of, was a sort of of as to medicine and period speak hap-hazard study, fragmentary, The history anatomy, applied surgery, at times minute and at times coarse and is in the life and labours of one man. That man was complex, contemptible. wrapt up Such I saw it in 1810 in such I found it still in Xavier Bichat. Preceded the laborious and Edinburgh; by truth-seeking 1814-15 in the and such it still was in Du and metropolis; 1825, Haller; by Winslow, Verney, Morgagni, Santorini; when I delivered first course of lectures "On the teacher of my Descrip- Malpighi, Fabrini, Harvey; by Harvey himself; tive Anatomy." Nobody seemed rightly to understand what Albinus, the of a Ruyisch, Vieussens, Vesalius; contemporary meant; the anatomy of man was than it was left for one man of later times to descriptive anatomy general greater all; yet unknown. There were in the but two - great human on its true basis to discover metropolis place anatomy schools. In one of these the course with hernia and the the the an began descriptive, general, the surgical; to bestow and ended with hernia and the fascia?. The lecturer form on that ere he fasciæ, intelligible, systematic knowledge which, read the descriptions of the muscles from Fyfe’s wretched * Great Artists and Great Anatomists; a Biographical and Philosophical * Buisson.

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