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A GROUP OF BOOKS DEALING WITH THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE

IN ENGLAND

THE medical profession comes in such close contact with the ordinary life of most people that it is not surprising that many books should have been written dealing with what might be termed the unscientific or personal aspects of the physician's life. In England, during the first half of the nineteenth century, there were published a number of books of this kind, chiefly anecdotal in character and curiously alike in their general aspect.

In 1824 William Wade published a book entitled "Nuga Chirurgica; or a Biographical Miscellany Illustrative of a Collection of Professional Portraits," in the preface to which he punningly states that its compilation has led him to a familiarity with the "Medici" family which he could have acquired in no other way.

The following year "Professional Anecdotes, or Ana of Medical Literature" a compilation in three small volumes of anecdotes bearing on professional men and matters was published anonymously, and achieved great popularity.

In 1827, William Macmichael published "The Gold-headed Cane," which has won for itself a lasting popularity not only because of its intrinsic worth but because of the fascinating manner in which the tale is told.

A few years later, in 1830, Macmichael,

in conjunction with several others, published a little book entitled, "Lives of British Physicians," in which the careers of some of the most eminent members of the profession were recorded.

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These books are followed by Millingen's "Curiosities of Medical Experience,' Cordy Jeffreason's "Book about Doctors" and others of a similar character, so that from an anecdotal point of view the history of the British medical profession was quite completely covered from the time of Linacre to the middle of the nineteenth century.

Most of these books include the same characters in their sketches and repeat the same stories. The French were not behind the English in their publications relating to the lives of physicians, but their books are generally more serious in tone and more strictly biographical or historical in their character. The American medical profession has sadly lacked this accession to its literature. There exist many biographies of American physicians and a goodly number of autobiographies, but so far no collection of anecdotes or light professional history has appeared. How interesting a collection of stories, memorable acts, or sayings of our medical forbears would be! The material exists in great quantity, but no Macmichael has yet arisen to put it into literary form. Formal biographies of physicians, with some

striking examples are generally of little interest and value. The life of Pasteur by Radot is a model showing the vivid interest which may be excited by the simple recital of the achievements of a great man of science. The recently published biography of Beaumont is one of the few really first class medical biographies so far published in this country. The rest are generally dull reading and, not only that, but unworthy representations of the life of the man they desire to memorialize. As to autobiographies of physicians, possibly the less said the better. Marion Sims' account of his own career stands almost alone for the American profession, and the French since Ambroise Paré's "Apology" possesses no better. The English are as badly off in this respect.

The one classic work on American medical biography and history is that of old James Thacher. To it every one interested in the history of American medicine in its early years must turn, and in its pages will be found practically all the facts regarding Rush, Shippen, Bard, Warren and the other worthies of the Colonial and Revolutionary period with which we are acquainted.

The early history of the profession in this country has been by no means exhausted, and while there is yet time no efforts should be spared to search out every possible source

of original information and gather every fact bearing upon it. In the archives of some of the older hospitals, institutions and medical societies of this country there must lie hidden a mine of information which if diligently explored would produce great results. In the majority of instances such records are easily accessible and would well repay the search. Let us try and stimulate efforts in this direction in the hope that we may learn things heretofore hidden and convey to the rising generation of medical men at least some idea of the great personalities who laid the foundation of medical education and achievement in this country. Every young man in the profession in Edinburgh can recall the history of that great school and speak with pride of the Munros, Fergusson, Syme, and Simpson. The young English doctors can tell you much of what Cheselden, Pott, the Hunters, Cooper, and a hundred others accomplished in London; but the young American, alas, knows but little of the past glories of his profession in his native land.

One of the most important functions for those in this country who are interested in the history of medicine is to arouse and maintain the interest of the American medical student in the traditions of his profession.

DR. GEORGES CLEMENCEAU

The Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia contains an almost complete set of the theses of the graduates in medicine of the University of Paris. Some time ago the writer sought among them for the graduation thesis of Dr. Georges Clemenceau, and was rewarded by finding a copy, published at Paris in 1867, and bearing on the flyleaf an inscription to S. Weir Mitchell from the author, a photostatic copy of which, and of the title-page, are herewith presented.

The future French Premier graduated in medicine in 1865, and shortly after sailed for the United States, where he settled in New York, opening an office in that city and eking out a livelihood by teaching French in a school for girls at Stamford, Connecti

cut.

The emigrant premier came of a long line of doctors, being the seventh doctor in lineal succession in as many generations of Clemenceaus. His father was an ardent Republican and had undergone a period of exile in

1851 because of his opposition to the coup d'état, and the young doctor when a medical student, had been imprisoned for a short time because of his participation in a republican demonstration of the students.

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Sanbornton, New Hampshire, a pupil of the school in which he taught. They were divorced after twenty years of married life. With the downfall of the Empire Clemenceau returned to France. It is interesting to

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Flyleaf with autograph and title page of a thesis by Dr. Georges Clemenceau.

It was natural, therefore, that he should seek freedom from political oppression in this country. His thesis was published while he was living in New York and it is probable that some copies were sent to him which he gave to prominent members of the profession in the hope of attracting their attention and thereby gaining some professional aid in his career. The thesis itself shows evidence of great industry and scientific research, but, of course, the progress of embryology has relegated the views propounded in it to the limbo of forgotten things.

Clemenceau married a Miss Plummer, of

speculate whether if the overthrow had not occurred Clemenceau might not have succeeded in building up a New York practice and remained with us instead of returning to save the world in the Great War.

FRANCIS R. PACKARD.

EDITORIAL NOTE

The portrait of the late Dr. Jacobi, which appeared in Volume II, Number 2 of the ANNALS OF MEDICAL HISTORY was unfortunately published without giving credit to Mrs. Doris U. Jaeger, the photographer who made it.

مدرد

A NOTE ON THE HISTORY OF VARIOLATION

Prior to the publication of Jenner's great work (1798), preventive inoculation against the smallpox by means of human virus, a practice introduced into Europe by Timoni (1713), Pilarini (1716) and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1718-21), had a long series of ups and downs in the old world and the new.

Thousands of persons were inoculated, even troops in the Continental Army; but vaccination was soon recognized as a safer

Napoleonic era. The best, and best known, are his first attempts, "L'Enfant du Carnaval" (1792), "La Folie Espagnole" (1799), and "Mon Oncle Thomas" (1799). In the last named, there are remarkably realistic scenes, showing the arrogance of the aristocracy and the police officials toward the poor during the pre-Revolutionary period. The selection subjoined describes a revolting act of cruelty perpetrated upon a child by his step-father, a police-sergeant:

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procedure than variolation, since the inoculated subjects in the latter case became smallpox carriers, through the sores. The frequency of the practice in France is evidenced in the following passage from the novel "Mon Oncle Thomas" (1799) by C. A. G. Pigault-Lebrun (1753-1835), the prolific romancer of the Directory period. The novels of Pigault-Lebrun are valuable documents of life and manners in the transition period between the years preceding the French Revolution and the

L'inoculation commençait à être en vogue, et M. Carabin, chirurgien-major des guets à pied et à cheval, grand praticien, à ce qu'il croyait et partisan zélé des nouveautés, M. Carabin s'était jeté à corps perdu dans le système en faveur. Il n'osait prendre son virus aux Enfants-trouvés ni à la Pitié, parce qu'il y avait là des petites véroles confluentes qui pouvaient empoisonner les inoculés. Il fallait, pour propager la méthode, un germe bourgeois aussi pur et aussi bénin que peut l'être du virus. Sur un mot que lui entendit pronouncer Riboulard, il prit mon petit oncle par la main, et, sous le prétexte d'une promenade, il le conduisit à la Pitié. O tendre mère! ton coeur

ne te disait point: Va donc, suis donc; les jours de Thomas sont compromis!

Arrivés à la maladrerie, Riboulard déshabille mon oncle, ce qui n'était pas difficile; il le roule et le frotte dans les lits de cinq ou six de ces petits malheureux.

Thomas, de retour, conta tout a sa mère, et sa mère, dans un accès de rage impossible à décrire, assomma Riboulard de trois coups de fer à repasser. II tomba, elle le crut mort, et, pour s'assurer de ce qui en était, elle courut chercher M. Carabin, qui lui promit de tirer de là mon coquin de grandpère. En effet, il le saigna, le trépana, et n'exigea pour son salaire que la permission de garnir proprement quelques sétons du produit des pustules de mon oncle, lesquelles étaient d'une beauté ravissante. Tant il est vrai de dire que ce que Dieu garde est bien gardé!

Riboulard, qui n'était bon qu'à faire endiabler les autres, guérit enfin au grand mécontement de ma grand'mère et de mon oncle Thomas, qui s'étaient flattés de l'enterrer. Il regretta amère

ment douze francs au moins que lui êut valu le virus sans l'aventure du trépan, et il jura de s'en dédommager d'un autre côté.

Mon Oncle Thomas, Ch. I.

A colored caricature belonging to the Jennerian period (circa 1802), represents the turkey as a rival of the cow in the production of vaccine. A grocer's boy holds up a large turkey from which the dishevelled scaramouch of a doctor extracts the virus on a lancet. The legend reads "La Dindonnade, ou La Rivale de la Vaccine." The plate is without author or date, but reference is made underneath the inscription to an article in the (inaccessible) Journal des sciences et des arts, No. 129, "en datte du 15 Floréal An 9" (May 5, 1802).

F. H. GARRISON.

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