INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS 



35 



pathology until the science of physiology had reached a de- 

 gree of perfection unattained, and indeed unattainable, until 

 quite recent times." Historically speaking, modern physi- 

 ology, he pointed out, began with Descartes' attempt to 

 explain bodily phenomena on purely physical principles ; 

 but the Cartesian notion of one controlling central mechan- 

 ism had to give way before the proof of varied activities 

 residing in various tissues, until the cell-theory united some- 

 thing of either view. " The body is a machine of the nature 

 of an army, not that of a watch or of a hydraulic appara- 

 tus." On this analogy, diseases are derangements either of 

 the physiological units of the body, or of their co-ordinating 

 machinery : and the future of medicine depends on exact 

 knowledge of these derangements and of the precise altera- 

 tion of the conditions by the administration of drugs or 

 other treatment, which will redress those derangements with- 

 out disturbing the rest of the body. 



A few extracts from letters to his wife describe his oc- 

 cupation at the Congress, which involved too much " soci- 

 ety " for his liking. 



August 4. — The Congress began with great eclat yesterday, 

 and the latter part of Paget's address was particularly fine. 

 After, there was the lunch at the Pagets' with the two Royalties. 

 After that, an address by Virchow. After that, dinner at San- 

 derson's, with a confused splutter of German to the neighbours 

 on my right. After that a tremendous soiree at South Kensing- 

 ton, from which I escaped as soon as I could, and got home at 

 midnight. There is a confounded Lord Mayor's dinner this 

 evening ("the usual turtle and speeches to the infinite bewilder- 

 ment and delight of the foreigners," August 6), and to-morrow 

 a dinner at the Physiological Society. But I have got off the 

 Kew party, and mean to go quietly down to the Spottiswoodes 

 [i.e. at Sevenoaks] on Saturday afternoon, and get out of the 

 way of everything except the College of Surgeons' soiree, till 

 Tuesday. Commend me for my prudence. 



On the Sth he was busy all day with Government Com- 

 mittees, only returning to correct proofs of his address 

 before the social functions of the evening. Next morning 

 he writes : — 



