DEVELOPMENT IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 379 



willingness to indulge in a sensible reciprocity, has been manifest 

 between France and Germany, to the great detriment of surgery 

 in each of these rival countries. As an apt illustration, character- 

 istic of the difference between the English and American spirit in 

 this regard, may be cited the fact that in 1823 the writings of one 

 of the great French surgeons, Desault, the most noteworthy con- 

 tribution to the surgical literature of the world then published, 

 had never been translated for the use of British surgeons. No Eng- 

 lishman had the courage or willingness to demean himself by so 

 doing, since he would thereby acknowledge that some good thing 

 might come out of France. Yet at that very time, Smith, of South 

 Carolina, rejoicing as one who had found great spoil, was busily 

 engaged in putting Desault 's works into English for the benefit of 

 the surgeons of America. 



So in this great triangle of nations formed by England, France, 

 and Germany, the surgical knowledge and suggestions of each re- 

 mained within its own walled domain, untouched by the others; 

 on the contrary, in a pleasantly independent spirit, and having 

 no unfortunate jealousies to cherish, America reached her eager 

 hand over the separating wall, and freely and gratefully laid hold 

 upon whatever she considered best in the surgery of those and 

 other nations, appropriating to her own use, for the good of hu- 

 manity at large, as many of their principles, theories, discoveries, 

 methods, and appliances as she considered it worth her while to 

 take. Availing herself of these factors, utilizing them as stepping- 

 stones, and combining them with the wonderful achievements . of 

 her own inventive genius and skill, she has rapidly risen to that 

 illustrious height in the surgical world which she so grandly occu- 

 pies to-day. 



It goes without saying, gentlemen, that within the past decade, 

 America, without any effort of her own, without the least self- 

 seeking, but through the force of her national greatness moral, 

 intellectual, physical has come to the front as a world-power 

 among the nations of the earth. She now ranks second to none as 

 an important and controlling factor in the congress of nations, 

 and when she speaks, her voice commands the attention of a listen- 

 ing world. In this regard her science of surgery has kept even pace 

 with her political advancement upon the powers. At the present 

 time her surgeons are not outclassed by those of any other country, 

 while in her contributions to the general literature of surgery, she 

 stands unsurpassed. It is an actual fact, if you were to strike from 

 the notable surgical achievements and writings of the world what 

 has been contributed by America during the past few decades, 

 there would be left but little of new and original work for the older 

 nations to claim as their own. 



