Butin1851,withtheInternationalExhibitionatLondon,beganinGreatBritainandAmericaamovementinfavourofscientificeducation;menofwealthandpublicspiritbeganmakingcontributionstothem,andthuscamethegrowthofanewsystemofinstructioninwhichChemistryandPhysicstookjustrank。
ByfarthemostmarkedfeatureinthismovementwasseeninAmerica,when,in1857,JustinS。Morrill,ayoungmemberofCongressfromVermont,presentedtheprojectofalawendowingfromthepubliclandsabroadnationalsystemofcollegesinwhichscientificandtechnicalstudiesshouldbeplacedonanequalitywithstudiesinclassicalliterature,onesuchcollegetobeestablishedineveryStateoftheUnion。Thebill,thoughopposedmainlybyrepresentativesfromtheSouthernStates,wheredoctrinairepoliticsandorthodoxtheologywereinstrongalliancewithnegroslavery,waspassedbybothHousesofCongress,butvetoedbyPresidentBuchanan,inwhomthedoctrinaireandorthodoxspiritwasincarnate。ButMorrillpersistedandagainpresentedhisbill,whichwasagaincarriedinspiteoftheoppositionoftheSouthernmembers,andagainvetoedin1859byPresidentBuchanan。Thencamethecivilwar;
butMorrillandhisassociatesdidnotdespairoftherepublic。
InthemidstofallthemeasuresforputtingvastarmiesintothefieldandforsavingtheUnionfromforeigninterferenceaswellasfromdomesticanarchy,theyagainpassedthebill,andin1862,inthedarkesthourofthestrugglefornationalexistence,itbecamealawbythesignatureofPresidentLincoln。
Andhereitshouldnotbeunrecorded,that,whilethevastmajorityofthesupportersofthemeasurewerelaymen,mostefficientservicewasrenderedbyaclergyman,theRev。Dr。
AmosBrown,borninNewHampshire,butatthattimeaninstructorinalittlevillageofNewYork。Hisideaswereembodiedinthebill,andhiseffortsdidmuchforitspassage。
Thuswasestablished,ineveryStateoftheAmericanUnion,atleastoneinstitutioninwhichscientificandtechnicalstudiesweregivenequalrankwithclassical,andpromotedbylaboratoriesforresearchinphysicalandnaturalscience。Oftheseinstitutionstherearenownearlyfifty:allhaveprovedvaluable,andsomeofthem,bytheadditionofsplendidgiftsfromindividualsandfromtheStatesinwhichtheyaresituated,havebeendevelopedintogreatuniversities。
Norwasthisall。Manyoftheolderuniversitiesandcollegesthusreceivedapowerfulstimulusinthenewdirection。Thegreatphysicalandchemicallaboratoriesfoundedbygiftsfrompublic-spiritedindividuals,asatHarvard,Yale,andChicago,orbyenlightenedStatelegislators,asinMichigan,Wisconsin,Minnesota,California,Kansas,andNebraska,havealsobecomecentresfromwhichradiateinfluencesfavouringtheunfetteredsearchfortruthastruth。
Thissystemhasbeenlongenoughinoperationtoenableustonoteinsomedegreeitseffectsonreligion,andthesearecertainlysuchastorelievethosewhohavefearedthatreligionwasnecessarilyboundupwiththeolderinstructioncontrolledbytheology。WhileinEurope,byanaturalreaction,thecollegesunderstrictecclesiasticalcontrolhavesentforththemostpowerfulfoestheChristianChurchhaseverknown,ofwhomVoltaireandDiderotandVolneyandSainte-BeuveandRenanaretypes,nosucheffectshavebeennotedinthesenewerinstitutions。Whilethetheologicalwayoflookingattheuniversehassteadilyyielded,therehasbeennosignofanytendencytowardirreligion。Onthecontrary,itisthetestimonyofthosebestacquaintedwiththeAmericancollegesanduniversitiesduringthelastforty-fiveyearsthattherehasbeeninthemagreatgain,notonlyasregardsmorals,butasregardsreligioninitshighestandbestsense。Thereasonisnotfartoseek。UndertheoldAmericansystemthewholebodyofstudentsatauniversitywereconfinedtoasinglecourse,forwhichthemajoritycaredlittleandverymanycarednothing,and,asaresult,widespreadidlenessanddissipationwereinevitable。
Underthenewsystem,presentingvariouscourses,andespeciallycoursesinvarioussciences,appealingtodifferenttastesandaims,thegreatmajorityofstudentsareinterested,andconsequentlyindolenceanddissipationhavesteadilydiminished。
Moreover,inthemajorityofAmericaninstitutionsoflearningdowntothemiddleofthecentury,themainrelianceforthereligiouscultureofstudentswasintheperfunctorypresentationofsectariantheology,andtheoccasionalstirringupofwhatwerecalled“revivals。”which,afteraperiodofunhealthystimulus,inevitablyleftthemainbodyofstudentsinastateofreligiousandmoralreactionandcollapse。Thismethodisnowdiscredited,andinthemoreimportantAmericanuniversitiesithasbecomeimpossible。Religioustruth,tosecuretheattentionofthemodernraceofstudentsinthebetterAmericaninstitutions,ispresented,notby“sensationpreachers。”butbythoughtful,sober-mindedscholars。Lessandlessavailsectarianarguments;moreandmoreimpressivebecomesthepresentationoffundamentalreligioustruths。Theresultis,thatwhileyoungmencarelessandlessforthegreatmassofpetty,cut-and-driedsectarianformulas,theyapproachthedeeperquestionsofreligionwithincreasingreverence。
WhilestrikingdifferencesexistbetweentheEuropeanuniversitiesandthoseoftheUnitedStates,thisatleastmaybesaid,thatonbothsidesoftheAtlanticthegreatmajorityoftheleadinginstitutionsoflearningareundertheswayofenlightenedpublicopinionasvoicedmainlybylaymen,andthat,thisbeingthecase,thephysicalandnaturalsciencesarehenceforthlikelytobedevelopednormally,andwithoutfearofbeingsterilizedbytheologyoroppressedbyecclesiasticism。
Nothingintheevolutionofhumanthoughtappearsmoreinevitablethantheideaofsupernaturalinterventioninproducingandcuringdisease。Thecausesofdiseasearesointricatethattheyarereachedonlyafteragesofscientificlabour。Inthoseperiodswhenmanseeseverywheremiracleandnowherelaw,——whenheattributesallthingswhichhecannotunderstandtoawilllikehisown,——henaturallyascribeshisdiseaseseithertothewrathofagoodbeingortothemaliceofanevilbeing。
Thisideaunderliestheconnectionofthepriestlyclasswiththehealingart:aconnectionofwhichwehavesurvivalsamongrudetribesinallpartsoftheworld,andwhichisseeninnearlyeveryancientcivilization——especiallyinthepowersoverdiseaseclaimedinEgyptbythepriestsofOsirisandIsis,inAssyriabythepriestsofGibil,inGreecebythepriestsofAesculapius,andinJudeabythepriestsandprophetsofJahveh。
InEgyptthereisevidence,reachingbacktoaveryearlyperiod,thatthesickwereoftenregardedasafflictedorpossessedbydemons;thesamebeliefcomesconstantlybeforeusinthegreatreligionsofIndiaandChina;and,asregardsChaldea,theAssyriantabletsrecoveredinrecentyears,whilerevealingthesourceofsomanymythsandlegendstransmittedtothemodernworldthroughthebookofGenesis,showespeciallythisideaofthehealingofdiseasesbythecastingoutofdevils。AsimilartheorywaselaboratedinPersia。Naturally,then,theOldTestament,sopreciousinshowingtheevolutionofreligiousandmoraltruthamongmen,attributessuchdiseasesastheleprosyofMiriamandUzziah,theboilsofJob,thedysenteryofJehoram,thewitheredhandofJeroboam,thefatalillnessofAsa,andmanyotherills,tothewrathofGodorthemaliceofSatan;while,intheNewTestament,suchexamplesasthewoman“boundbySatan。”therebukeofthefever,thecastingoutofthedevilwhichwasdumb,thehealingofthepersonwhom“thedevilofttimescastethintothefire“——ofwhichcaseoneofthegreatestmodernphysiciansremarksthatneverwasthereatruerdescriptionofepilepsy——andvariousotherepisodes,showthissameinevitablemodeofthoughtasarefractingmediumthroughwhichtheteachingsanddoingsoftheGreatPhysicianwererevealedtofuturegenerations。
InGreece,thoughthisideaofanoccultevilagencyinproducingbodilyillsappearedatanearlyperiod,therealsocamethefirstbeginnings,sofarasweknow,ofareallyscientifictheoryofmedicine。FivehundredyearsbeforeChrist,inthebloomperiodofthought——theperiodofAeschylus,Phidias,Pericles,Socrates,andPlato——appearedHippocrates,oneofthegreatestnamesinhistory。Quietlybutthoroughlyhebrokeawayfromtheoldtradition,developedscientificthought,andlaidthefoundationsofmedicalscienceuponexperience,observation,andreasonsodeeplyandbroadlythathisteachingremainstothishouramongthemostpreciouspossessionsofourrace。
HisthoughtwaspassedontotheSchoolofAlexandria,andtheremedicalsciencewasdevelopedyetfurther,especiallybysuchmenasHerophilusandErasistratus。Undertheirleadstudiesinhumananatomybeganbydissection;theoldprejudicewhichhadweighedsolonguponscience,preventingthatmethodofanatomicalinvestigationwithoutwhichtherecanbenorealresults,wascastasideapparentlyforever。[289]
[289]ForextendedstatementsregardingmedicineinEgypt,Judea,andEasternnationsgenerally,seeSprengel,HistoiredelaMedecine,andHaeser;andformoresuccinctaccounts,Baas,GeschichtederMedicin,pp。15-29;alsoIsensee;alsoFredault,HistoiredelaMedecine,chap。i。FortheeffortinEgyptianmedicinetodealwithdemonsandwitches,seeHeinrichBrugsch,DieAegyptologie,Leipsic,1891,p。77;andforreferencestothePapyrusEbers,etc。,pp。155,407,andfollowing。ForfearofdissectionandprejudicesagainstitinEgypt,likethoseinmediaevalEurope,seeMasperoandSayce,DawnofCivilization,p。
216。ForthederivationofpriestlymedicineinEgypt,seeBaas,pp。16,22。ForthefameofEgyptianmedicineatRome,seeSharpe,HistoryofEgypt,vol。ii,pp。151,184。ForAssyria,seeespeciallyGeorgeSmithinDelitzsch’sGermantranslation,p。
34,andF。Delitzsch’sappendix,p。27。Onthecheapnessandcommonnessofmiraclesofhealinginantiquity,seeSharpe,quotingSt。Jerome,vol。ii,pp。276,277。AstotheinfluenceofChaldeanideasofmagicanddisease,seeLecky,HistoryofEuropeanMorals,vol。i,p。404andnote。But,ontheotherhand,seereferenceinHomertodiseasescausedbya“demon。”
FortheevolutionofmedicinebeforeandafterHippocrates,seeSprengel。ForagoodsummingupoftheworkofHippocrates,seeBaas,p。201。Forthenecessarypassageofmedicineinitsearlystagesunderpriestlycontrol,seeCabanis,TheRevolutionofMedicalScience,London,1806,chap。ii。OnJewishideasregardingdemons,andtheirrelationtosickness,seeToy,JudaismandChristianity,Boston,1891,pp。168etseq。ForavoidanceofdissectionsofhumansubjectsevenbyGalenandhisdisciples,seeMauriceAlbert,LesMedecinsGrecsaRome,Paris,1894,chap。xi。ForHerophilus,Erasistratus,andtheSchoolofAlexandria,seeSprengel,vol。i,pp。433,434etseq。
ButwiththecominginofChristianityagreatnewchainofeventswassetinmotionwhichmodifiedthisdevelopmentmostprofoundly。TheinfluenceofChristianityonthehealingartwastwofold:therewasfirstablessedimpulse——thethought,aspiration,example,ideals,andspiritofJesusofNazareth。
Thisspirit,thenpouredintotheworld,floweddownthroughtheages,promotingself-sacrificeforthesickandwretched。
Throughallthosesucceedingcenturies,eventhroughtherudest,hospitalsandinfirmariessprangupalongthisblessedstream。
OftheseweretheEasternestablishmentsforthecureofthesickattheearliestChristianperiods,theInfirmaryofMonteCassinoandtheHotel-DieuatLyonsinthesixthcentury,theHotel-DieuatParisintheseventh,andthemyriadrefugesforthesickandsufferingwhichsprangupineverypartofEuropeduringthefollowingcenturies。Vitalizedbythisstream,allmedievalgrowthsofmercybloomedluxuriantly。Tosaynothingofthoseatanearlierperiod,wehaveinthetimeoftheCrusadesgreatcharitableorganizationsliketheOrderofSt。JohnofJerusalem,andthenceforwardeverymeansofbringingthespiritofJesustohelpafflictedhumanity。So,too,throughallthoseageswehaveasuccessionofmenandwomendevotingthemselvestoworksofmercy,culminatingduringmoderntimesinsaintslikeVincentdePaul,Francke,Howard,ElizabethFry,FlorenceNightingale,andMuhlenberg。
Butwhilethisvastinfluence,pouredforthfromtheheartoftheFounderofChristianity,streamedthroughcenturyaftercentury,inspiringeverydevelopmentofmercy,therecamefromthosewhoorganizedtheChurchwhichbearshisname,andfromthosewhoafterwarddevelopedanddirectedit,anotherstreamofinfluence——atheologydrawnpartlyfromprehistoricconceptionsofunseenpowers,partlyfromideasdevelopedintheearliesthistoricnations,butespeciallyfromtheletteroftheHebrewandChristiansacredbooks。
ThetheologydeveLopedoutofoursacredliteratureinrelationtothecureofdiseasewasmainlytwofold:first,therewasanewandstrongevolutionoftheoldideathatphysicaldiseaseisproducedbythewrathofGodorthemaliceofSatan,orbyacombinationofboth,whichtheologywasespeciallycalledintoexplain;secondly,therewereevolvedtheoriesofmiraculousmethodsofcure,baseduponmodesofappeasingtheDivineanger,orofthwartingSatanicmalice。
Alongboththesestreamsofinfluence,onearisinginthelifeofJesus,andtheotherinthereasoningsoftheologians,legendsofmiraclesgrewluxuriantly。Itwouldbeutterlyunphilosophicaltoattributetheseasawholetoconsciousfraud。Whateverpartpriestcraftmayhavetakenafterwardinsundrydiscreditabledevelopmentsofthem,themassofmiraculouslegends,Centuryaftercentury,grewupmainlyingoodfaith,andasnaturallyaselmsalongwater-coursesorflowersupontheprairie。