

THE HISTORY OF PEDIATRICS AND ITS RELATION TO 

 OTHER SCIENCES AND ARTS 



BY ABRAHAM JACOBI 



[Abraham Jacobi, Professor Emeritus, Diseases of Children, Columbia Univers- 

 ity, b. May 6, 1830, Hartum in Westphalia, Germany. M.D. University of 

 Bonn, 1851; LL.D. University of Michigan, 1898; ibid. University of Columbia, 

 1900. Professor, New York Medical College, 1860-64; University Medical 

 College, 1865-70; College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia), 1870-1902; 

 Attending or Consulting Physician to most of the prominent hospitals in New 

 York. Member of many medical societies in this and foreign countries. Author 

 of some medical works; also numerous articles for magazines in this and other 

 countries.] 



THE most human of all the gods ever created by the fancy or the 

 religious cravings of mortal men was Phosbus Apollo. It was he that 

 gave its daily light to the wakening world, flattered the senses of the 

 select with music, filled the songs of the bards and the hearts of their 

 hearers with the rhythm and wonders of poetry, that inspired and 

 reveled with the muses of the Parnassus, cheered the world with the 

 artistic creations of the fertile brains and skillful hands of a Zeuxis 

 and Phidias he, always he, that inflicted and healed warriors' 

 wounds and sent and cured deadly diseases. 



In the imagination of a warm-hearted and unsophisticated people 

 it took a god to embrace and bestow all that is most beneficent and 

 sublime physical, moral, and mental light and warmth; the sun, 

 the arts, poetry, and the most human and humane of all sciences 

 and arts, namely, medicine. 



Ancient gods no longer direct or control our thoughts, feelings, and 

 enjoyments, either physical or intellectual. The kinship and correla- 

 tion of hypotheses and studies, experience and knowledge are in the 

 keeping of the philosophical mind of man, who is both their creator 

 and beneficiary. To demonstrate this rational affinity of all the 

 sciences and arts, some far-seeing men planned this great Congress. 

 The new departure - - in the arrangement for it - - should be an 

 example to future general and special scientific gatherings. Indeed, 

 some of its features were adopted by the organization committee of 

 the International Medical Congress which was to take place at St. 

 Louis, but was given up on account of the limited time at the dis- 

 posal of the great enterprise. 



Congresses are held for the purpose of comparing and guarding 

 diversified interests. A free political life requires them for the con- 

 sulting of the needs of all classes. Scientific congresses are convened 

 to gather and collate the varied opinions, experiences, and results of 

 many men, and to create or renew in the young and old the enthu- 



