20 THE P.IRTH AND GROWTH OF SCIENCE IN MEDICINE. 



leader, in his life's work, and we realise how truly 

 scientific were his methods. But though these methods 

 enabled him to correct many of the errors of his pre- 

 decessors, and though the ' De Generatione ' is full of 

 accurate and curious observations and good reasoning, in 

 comparison with the ' De Motu Cordis ' it leaves us 

 cold. No great conclusion emerges ; the real problems of 

 generation remain unsolved. And no wonder. Harvey 

 had no microscope.* But the methods and reasoning 

 he employed, his freedom from prejudice, his modesty — 

 these remain a guiding light to future generations to point 

 out the path by which science should be pursued. 



With Harvey we feel that medical science has fairly 

 entered that path. The conditions which I ventured to 

 lay down at the beginning of this discourse as essential 

 to scientific progress — freedom of thought, accurac}' of 

 observation, imagination, experimental verification, logical 

 reasoning — all are exemplified in Harvey's work. I have 

 endeavoured to trace the birth and growth of medical 

 science up to this point, and I fear that, in the attempt to 

 cover so wide a field in the brief hour allotted me I may 

 have incurred the charge of superficiality. I must be 

 content if the sketch, though superficial, is not wholly 

 wanting in perspective. I have intentionally dwelt upon 

 the earlier phases of scientific medicine, for my theme 

 has been the spirit which brought it to birth rather than 

 the triumphs of its maturity. 



If you are not weary of somewhat trite observations, I 

 will conclude by passing in brief review some of the 

 influences which, since Harvey's day, have been most 

 fruitful in furthering the growth of medical science. 

 However admirable the spirit of inquiry, medicine can 

 only employ the means at its command, and of all 



* This statement is not strictly correct. It has been pointed out to me 

 that one of the portraits of Harvey shows an instrument of the compound 

 type. It is, however, clear from negative evidence that this imperfect 

 microscope was of no great service to him in his researches ; otherwise he 

 would have mentioned the fact. 



