Inaugural Address. 49 
country life, a necessity for exertion, more early hours, and 
often some slight abstinence in food, or a total change of diet, 
will even now, and in these degenerate days, do much towards 
checking the progress of disease, much towards the recovery 
of health. To be sure, the principles of the prescription are 
not similar, although both the agents and the patients are 
much the same. Nomina as well as Tempora mutantur, sed 
nos non mutamur ab illis.” 
We smile at the recital of the superstitions and credulity 
of a former age, and we do well: though we little think that 
our smiles too often condemn ourselves: for how little do we 
yet know of the nature of the instruments we frequently 
employ for the cure of disease, and how very little of the 
nature of disease itself. I say not this invidiously, for much | 
in both departments has been lately done; but this increase 
of light only the more strongly shows how very much more 
there remains for us to do, Still this is a subject rather of 
congratulation than despair; it is rather our incitement than 
disgrace. 
xperimental study, supplanting mere speculative philo- 
sophy, has worked miracles on every side; and in no science 
has it wrought more wonders than in our own. Experiment is 
the key by which we have been already able to translate so 
many passages fromthe book of nature into our mother tongue, 
and by which we hope to be enabled to construe many more. 
But because much has been lately done, therewith shall we 
rest content?—forbid the unworthy thought; for contentment. 
too often is allied to sloth, and sloth is the bane of science. 
Our predecessors have been our pioneers; they have cleared 
away from the entrance to the temple of ‘Truth much of the 
accumulated rust of ages. We now no longer hear of the royal 
touch being efficacious in the cure of scrofula; although once, 
in this very town, a philosopher (who lived, as we might say, 
before his age,) was tried, found guilty, and severely pu- 
nished, for doubting the efficacy of this repellent. eno 
longer hear of those disgusting tales of females crowding to 
the gallows’ foot, to have unsightly tumors rubbed with an 
executed felon's hand; and their necks, by the officiating 
hangman, smeared with perspiration wrung from a fellow- 
creature in the agonies of death. No longer are our Dispen- 
satories disgraced by the enumeration of ‘‘ manus regalis” et 
manus hominis mortui” as remedial means. Yes: our Dis- 
pensatories have been much purified of late, and medicines 
no longer are prescribed merely because they are nauseous; 
nor things now given to a man when sick which would dis- 
order his system even in the most perfect health. General 
ul 
