154 THERAPEUTICS AND PHARMACOLOGY 



It is the age in which the greatest progress in natural science has 

 been made. The vast numbers of new discoveries in medicine have 

 lessened, or even almost suppressed, on the part of many persons, 

 the feelings of admiration for each new acquisition. 



The new phenomena and experiences which confront us on all 

 sides surpass the wildest dreams described in former centuries as the 

 eccentricities of fanciful minds. The abundance of material compels 

 our admiration and allows the astonished eye no time to gaze long 

 at one occurrence, for new impressions already crowd it out. 



The nineteenth century has spoiled us; our demands for new 

 acquisitions increase, and we grow impatient to know more. In this 

 unsettled state the laborious work of the individual often seems 

 lost, but the true scholar is buoyed up by the gratifying knowledge 

 that mighty buildings can only be constructed of a mosaic made up 

 of single stones. Yet, truly, humanity often settles down in a new 

 building without admiring either the work of the architect or his 

 material. 



Moreover, the capability of enjoying nature and whatever we have 

 added to our knowledge of the universe by laborious experiments 

 does not appear to be a natural gift of man. Only education and 

 culture can awaken the enjoyment of what is and of what is about 

 to be. Mighty natural phenomena, indeed, fill the casual onlooker 

 with admiration, but the observation of what is harmonious in 

 nature, and the capacity of assimilating it for our own culture, can 

 be gained only through education. This also holds good of art, and 

 it is even more difficult in science. Since the uneducated majority 

 is often inclined to pass by the greatest events with indifference, the 

 nineteenth century has spared no pains to inform humanity of all 

 the great innovations, to educate them, and thus to gain friends 

 for the progress of civilization. This, indeed, is the object of your 

 Congress. 



There are various ways in which therapeutics (and it is here 

 chiefly a question of pharmacodynamic therapeutics, that is such 

 as concerns itself not with mechanical means but with chemical- 

 physical processes) may develop. 



New knowledge of the conditions of life of the organism often lead 

 to remarkable discoveries in therapeutics. Thus physiology, es- 

 pecially the functions of the different organs, is of the highest 

 importance for the progress of therapeutics. 



A striking example of this is furnished by digitalis. Originally 

 this plant was simply a popular remedy, which, like many substances 

 in use among the people, proved efficacious in the case of many 

 diseases, while, of course, of no avail in others. 



When William Withering, in 1785, undertook a careful examin- 

 ation of digitalis, it was used for phthisis, dropsy, and scrofula, it is 



