133 BEPonT~18r6. 



llomeo — repairs to Friav LaAxveiice'.s cell, "when grey-ej'"d morn tuiiles ou lliU 

 Jro-wiiiug niglit." The old friav thus soliloquizes : — 



" I musl^ up-fill this osier cage of ours 

 Witli baleful weeds and precious-juiced flovrers. 



# # * * * 



Many fov many virtues excellent, 



None but for some, and yet all difTerent. 



O, mickle is (he powerful grace that lies 



In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities : 



* * ♦ » » 



Within the infant rind of this weak flower 



Poison hath residence, and medicine power ; 



For lliis, being smelt, with that partel-.eers each part ; 



Being tasted, slays all senses with the heart." 



Borneo and Juliet, Act II. Scene 3. 



I cannot help noticing here, in passing, that Shakespeare appears to liave con- 

 ceived the notion of the phj^siological antagonisms of drugs, -which is generally 

 regarded as quite modern, although the practice of using antidotes has been 

 followed from the earliest times. Thus in the interview between tlie Queen and 

 Cornelius, the physician, in C'ynibeline, slie says : — 



" Having thus far proceeded, 

 (Unless thou think st me devilish) is't not meet 

 That I did amplify my judgment in 

 Other conclusions? I will try the forces 

 Of these thy compounds on such creatures as 

 We count not worth the hanging (but none human), 

 To try the vigour of them, and apply 

 Allayments to their act, and by them gather 

 Their several virtues, and electa."— Cyinbelinc, Act I. Scene G. 



Rel.\tion of Physiology to Medicine. 



I may now be permitted to fay a few words regarding the present position or 

 attitude of physiological science. I am in the liabit of tliinking of physiology, not 

 only as a ]ihysical science in itself, but as having a direct relation to two other 

 aciences — medicine and psychology. Carrying out this idea, were a sculptor to 

 form a group, he might lepresent physiology, on the one hand, dispensing gifts and 

 affording assistance to medicine, and, on tlie other, pointing upwards to psychology as 

 the greater sister of the three. Abandoning metaphor, there can be no doubt physio- 

 logy is most intimately connected with these sciences. First of all, with regard to 

 medicine (and by this" term of course I mean the whole art of detecting and curiiig 

 di-ease), there arem any problems Avhich physiology alone can solve. The origin of 

 disease, the steps of the clianges by which organs and tissues become so altered as 

 to produce what is called a diseased state, the effects of one diseased organ upon 

 others which are healthy, the actions of remedial substances, both in the healthy 

 and in the diseased condition, are all physiological processes, many of which cannot, 

 in the present condition of society, be thoroughly investigated by a practitioner, 

 who is often too busy a man to engage in this kind of work. Such labour must be 

 handed over, to a large extent, to a special class of men. They must investigate, 

 experiment, and work up the subject in the laboratory — either the physiological 

 laboratory of the university or school of medicine, or of the hospital or infirmaiy— 

 as the business of their lives, and from time to time announce the results. These 

 results must be checked by past experience, or by a Iniowledge of cases apposite to 

 the point, by the men who come into daily contact witli patients, and their verdict, 

 so far as any practical benefit is concerned, must usually be regarded as iinal. 



Impohtance of Systematic Investigation of Diseases. 



In the present state of science, we liave not reached that subdivision of labour, 

 m-r need it be ever absolutely coniplete. Many of the best contributions to physio- 



