6 THE HAllVEIAX ORATIOX, 1894. 



Piopry, it was chiefly by Fellows of this College, Dr. Clendin- 

 ning. Dr. C. J. B. Williams, and Dr. Todd, that the question 

 was finally settled, and the conclusions at which they arrived 

 are those now accepted as correct, viz., that " the first or systolic 

 sound is essentially caused by the sudden and forcible tightening 

 of the muscular fibres of the ventricle when they contract ; and 

 that the second sound which accompanies the diastole of the 

 ventricle depends solely on the reaction of tlie arterial columns 

 of blood in the semilunar valves at the arterial orifices."* 



Yet in recent discussions regarding the origin of cardiac 

 sounds, little mention has been made of the work of this com- 

 mittee ; and, indeed, I first learned of its value from a German 

 source, viz. : AVagner's Handwoi'terlucli der Physiologie. 



The importance of these observations in the diagnosis of 

 iieart disoase it would be hard to over-estimate. But diagnosis 

 ;alone is not the aim of the physician, whose object must be to 

 prevent, to cure, or to control disease. A knowledge of physi- 

 ology may greatly help us to prevent disease, not only of the 

 heart and vessels, but of every member of the body. The con- 

 trol and cure of disease may also be effected by diet and 

 regimen, but it is undoubtedly in many cases greatly assisted 

 by the use of drugs, and is sometimes impossible without them. 

 Harvey knew that drugs applied externally are absorbed and 

 act on the body,t so that colocynth thus applied will purge, 

 and cantharides will excite the urine : but the action of drui^s 

 when injected into the blood appears to have been tried 

 first by Christopher Wren, better known as the architect of 

 St. Paul's than as a pharmacologist. According to Bishop 

 Spratt, " he was the iirst author of the noble experiment of in- 

 jecting liquors into the veins of animals, an experiaient now 

 vulgarly known, but long since exhibited to the meetings at 

 Oxford, and thence carried by some Germans, and published 

 abroad. By this operation divers creatures were immediately 

 purged, vomited, intoxicated, killed, or revived, according to 

 the quality of the liquor injected. Hence arose many new 



* Eeport of Committee consisting of C. J. B. Williams, E. B. Todd, and 

 John Clendinning, Brit. Assoc. Rep. for 1836, p. 155. 



f The Works of WUliam Harvey, Sydenbani Society's edition, p. 72. 



