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hear me say it would be certain passages in 'Rasselas。' They are the
ones where the astronomer gives an account to Imlac of his management
of the elements； the control of which； as he had persuaded himself；
had been committed to him。 Let me read you a few sentences from this
story； which is commonly bound up with the 'Vicar of Wakefield；' like
a woollen lining to a silken mantle； but is full of stately wisdom in
processions of paragraphs which sound as if they ought to have a
grammatical drum…major to march before their tramping platoons。
〃The astronomer has taken Imlac into his confidence； and reveals to
him the secret of his wonderful powers：
〃'Hear； Imlac； what thou wilt not without difficulty credit。 I have
possessed for five years the regulation of the weather and the
distribution of the seasons the sun has listened to my dictates； and
passed from tropic to tropic by my direction； the clouds； at my call；
have poured their waters； and the Nile has overflowed at my command；
I have restrained the rage of the dog…star； and mitigated the fervors
of the crab。 The winds alone； of all the elemental powers； have
hitherto eluded my authority； and multitudes have perished by
equinoctial tempests； which I found myself unable to prohibit or
restrain。'
〃The reader naturally wishes to know how the astronomer； a sincere；
devoted； and most benevolent man； for forty years a student of the
heavens； came to the strange belief that he possessed these
miraculous powers。 This is his account：
〃'One day； as I was looking on the fields withering with heat； I felt
in my mind a sudden wish that I could send rain on the southern
mountains； and raise the Nile to an inundation。 In the hurry of my
imagination I commanded rain to fall； and by comparing the time of my
command with that of the inundation I found that the clouds had
listened to my lips。'
〃'Might not some other cause；' said I； 'produce this concurrence？
The Nile does not always rise on the same day。'
〃'Do not believe；' said he； with impatience； I that such objections
could escape me： I reasoned long against my own conviction； and
labored against truth with the utmost obstinacy。 I sometimes
suspected myself of madness； and should not have dared to impart this
secret but to a man like you； capable of distinguishing the wonderful
from the impossible and the incredible from the false。'
〃The good old astronomer gives his parting directions to Imlac； whom
he has adopted as his successor in the government of the elements and
the seasons； in these impressive words：
〃Do not； in the administration of the year； indulge thy pride by
innovation； do not please thyself with thinking that thou canst make
thyself renowned to all future ages by disordering the seasons。 The
memory of mischief is no desirable fame。 Much less will it become
thee to let kindness or interest prevail。 Never rob other countries
of rain to pour it on thine own。 For us the Nile is sufficient。'
〃Do you wonder； my friends； why I have chosen these passages； in
which the delusions of an insane astronomer are related with all the
pomp of the Johnsonian vocabulary； as the first lesson for the young
person about to enter on the study of the science and art of healing？
Listen to me while I show you the parallel of the story of the
astronomer in the history of medicine。
〃This history is luminous with intelligence； radiant with
benevolence； but all its wisdom and all its virtue have had to
struggle with the ever…rising mists of delusion。 The agencies which
waste and destroy the race of mankind are vast and resistless as the
elemental forces of nature； nay； they are themselves elemental
forces。 They may be to some extent avoided； to some extent diverted
from their aim； to some extent resisted。 So may the changes of the
seasons； from cold that freezes to heats that strike with sudden
death； be guarded against。 So may the tides be in some small measure
restrained in their inroads。 So may the storms be breasted by walls
they cannot shake from their foundations。 But the seasons and the
tides and the tempests work their will on the great scale upon
whatever stands in their way； they feed or starve the tillers of the
soil； they spare or drown the dwellers by the shore； they waft the
seaman to his harbor or bury him in the angry billows。
〃The art of the physician can do much to remove its subjects from
deadly and dangerous influences； and something to control or arrest
the effects of these influences。 But look at the records of the
life…insurance offices； and see how uniform is the action of nature's
destroying agencies。 Look at the annual reports of the deaths in any
of our great cities； and see how their regularity approaches the
uniformity of the tides； and their variations keep pace with those of
the seasons。 The inundations of the Nile are not more certainly to
be predicted than the vast wave of infantile disease which flows in
upon all our great cities with the growing heats of July；than the
fevers and dysenteries which visit our rural districts in the months
of the falling leaf。
〃The physician watches these changes as the astronomer watched the
rise of the great river。 He longs to rescue individuals； to protect
communities from the inroads of these destroying agencies。 He uses
all the means which experience has approved； tries every rational
method which ingenuity can suggest。 Some fortunate recovery leads
him to believe he has hit upon a preventive or a cure for a malady
which had resisted all known remedies。 His rescued patient sounds
his praises； and a wide circle of his patient's friends joins in a
chorus of eulogies。 Self…love applauds him for his sagacity。 Self…
interest congratulates him on his having found the road to fortune；
the sense of having proved a benefactor of his race smooths the
pillow on which he lays his head to dream of the brilliant future
opening before him。 If a single coincidence may lead a person of
sanguine disposition to believe that he has mastered a disease which
had baffled all who were before his time； and on which his
contemporaries looked in hopeless impotence； what must be the effect
of a series of such coincidences even on a mind of calmer temper！
Such series of coincidences will happen； and they may well deceive
the very elect。 Think of Dr。 Rush；you know what a famous man he
was； the very head and front of American medical science in his day；
and remember how he spoke about yellow fever； which he thought he
had mastered！
〃Thus the physician is entangled in the meshes of a wide conspiracy；
in which he and his patient and their friends； and…Nature herself；
are involved。 What wonder that the history of Medicine should be to
so great an extent a record of self…delusion！
〃If this seems a dangerous concession to the enemies of the true
science and art of healing； I will remind you that it is all implied
in the first aphorism of Hippocrates； the Father of Medicine。 Do not
draw a wrong inference from the frank statement of the difficulties
which beset the medical practitioner。 Think rather； if truth is so
hard of attainment； how precious are the results which the consent of
the wisest and most experienced among the healers of men agrees in
accepting。 Think what folly it is to cast them aside in favor of
palpable impositions stolen from the records of forgotten
charlatanism； or of fantastic speculations spun from the squinting
brains of theorists as wild as the Egyptian astronomer。
〃Begin your medical studies； then； by reading the fortieth and the
following four chapters of 'Rasselas。' Your first lesson will teach
you modesty and caution in the pursuit of the most deceptive of all
practical branches of knowledge。 Faith will come later； when you
learn how much medical science and art have actually achieved for the
relief of mankind； and how great are the promises it holds out of
still larger triumphs over the enemies of human health and
happiness。〃
After the reading of this paper there was a lively discussion； which
we have no room to report here； and the Society adjourned。
XIV
MISS VINCENT'S STARTLING DISCOVERY。
The sober…minded； sensible； well…instructed Dr。 Butts was not a
little exercised in mind by the demands made upon his knowledge by
his young friend； and for the time being his pupil； Miss Lurida
Vincent。
〃I don't wonder they called her The Terror；〃 he said to himself。
〃She is enough to frighten anybody。 She has taken down old books
from my shelves that I had almost forgotten the backs of； and as to
the medical journals； I believe the girl could index them from
memory。 She is in pursuit of some special point of knowledge； I feel
sure； and I cannot doubt what direction she is working in； but her
wonderful way of dealing with books amazes me。〃
What marvels those 〃first scholars〃 in t