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 <f A d——\ —- ■ 1 • A 
 
 An Address Delivered Before tlie Medical Society of 
 Virginia, at its Twenty-second Annual Session, 
 
 Wednesday, October 7tli, 1891. 
 
 §- 
 
 
 BY 
 
 WJVI. W. PARSER, JVL D., 
 
 President of the Society. 
 
 / 
 

 
 gOMMK^TS OF T¥K ppKSS. 
 
 (Erom the Richmond Dispatch.) 
 
 “The able Address delivered before the Medical Society of Virginia, at 
 Lynchburg, on Wednesday, on “ The Ancient and Modern Physician,” by the 
 President of the Society, Dr. Win, W. Parker, of this city, was greatly enjoyed 
 by those who were fortunate enough to hear it. The treatise on Luke is 
 thoroughly original, and, though speculative in great part, must prove espe¬ 
 cially interesting to the Biblical student. The Doctor’s tribute to Jenner is 
 just and able, concluding with a forcible and figurative oratorical flight that 
 must have aroused the enthusiasm of his hearers.” 
 
 (Editor North. Carolina Medical Journal.) 
 
 “I did not know that so much could be made of the beloved physician, 
 Luke, and I thank you very much for thus breaking through the old lines’ 
 and using the Scriptures with such evident knowledge of their profounder 
 meaning.” 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2020 with funding from 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 https://archive.org/details/ancientmodernphyOOpark 
 
Tljs Ancient aijcl Modern Pl^ysiciaQ 
 
 St. Ixupe aijd JeQQep. 
 
 By WILLIAM W. PARKER, M. D., of Richmond, Va., 
 
 President of the Medical Society of Virginia. 
 
 REPRINTED FROM TRANSACTIONS OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA, 1891. 
 
 Gentlemen of the Society .—My theme is “ The Ancient and Mod¬ 
 ern Physician .” 
 
 “ We have a goodly heritage,” said a wise man of old. This 
 is a subject of congratulation, both to individuals and to profes¬ 
 sions. It is well to remember, however, that the high standing 
 and good name of the medical profession to-day is not our work, 
 my fellow-members of the Virginia State Society. It is the work, 
 of our fathers. From feeble beginnings in by-gone centuries the 
 medical profession has been elevated step by step. Palsied be 
 the arm that would lower it one inch ! Such is my interest in 
 the matter, that I shall offer a resolution during this meeting, or¬ 
 dering 500 copies of the “Code of Ethics” for free distribution 
 among us; also, that it be recommended to all the medical col¬ 
 leges in the Union to give a copy thereof with each diploma is¬ 
 sued. We must see to it that the high and noble esprit de corps 
 of our fathers shall be maintained. 
 
 g«rfbero 
 
 Book Collection 
 yNC-Ckapel Httl 
 
 598009 
 
4 
 
 I learned early in life that no study was more profitable 
 than biography—this separation of some great character from 
 the mass of mankind, and studying him from head to foot; not 
 looking at the feeble saplings that wave their soft and flexible 
 bodies to every breeze, but at the strong oak, that lifts its mighty 
 arms toward the sunshine and the storms, loving the light and 
 defying the thunderbolt—a man of complete stature, full of faith 
 and power. The most unworthy man in our profession is he 
 who is jealous of superior attainment and merit. It is by these 
 master minds that you and I are raised one step higher on the 
 ladder. Men who by natural gifts and hard work and high en¬ 
 deavor attract the admiration and gratitude of the world should 
 be cherished as of priceless value to our profession. The doctor 
 who would traduce them is guilty of suicide. For shams and 
 pretenders, there must be nothing but contempt. History fortu¬ 
 nately furnishes us a medical man who offers us a splendid 
 example for contemplation—a man not well known in medical 
 annals. He possessed the following qualifications: First, great 
 literary culture; second, he was frank and open to conviction; 
 third, firmness; fourth, modesty; fifth, constancy; sixth, love 
 of the truth; seventh, purity; eighth, and lastly, the highest 
 benevolence. 
 
 Physicians have for study, my fellow-members, as you know, 
 the most wonderful and complex being in existence —man, the 
 master being of the world, no two alike in mind or body— 
 the same man, not really the same man, for a year at the time; 
 his taste changes, his digestion changes, and his power changes. 
 With this multiplication of one man what of the multitude? A 
 harp of a thousand strings must be often out of tune. Skill of 
 the highest order is needed to attune its multiple cords. So we 
 truly need the highest intelligence. A man who* is not open 
 to the truth ” is conceited and obstinate. Solomon says there is 
 more hopetof a fool. Firmness and modesty, while appar¬ 
 ently opposite qualities, are near akin. Without these there can 
 be no desired or permanent success. Not to be constant to 
 friends is to be a traitor. Not to be an intense lover of truth 
 is to be a laggard after it with sure failure as the result. Only 
 with clean, white garments and bare, glistening feet did the high 
 
5 
 
 priest enter the Holy of Holies. Thus prepared should the doc¬ 
 tor enter the sacred precints of the home, next to Heaven. He 
 should be pure. 
 
 . It has lately been proven by a case in the British Parliament 
 that even a politician cannot be a great leader of a good cause 
 without a high moral character. Mr. Gladstone and the Irish 
 priests and people loved the cause of Ireland, but they loved the 
 cause of God more. Can any one at all acquainted with the his¬ 
 tory of mankind say that the “world does not move?” The 
 leaven o-f the Gospel is working. In a neighboring State a law 
 has just been passed forfeiting the diploma of a drunken doctor 
 upon the ground that he is a dangerous man. This is sound 
 reasoning. With such a head and heart our hero must needs be 
 “benevolent.” A selfish doctor is a disgrace to his profession, 
 I care not what may be his mental attainments. 
 
 This model doctor—a model in all mental and moral qualities 
 at least—lived 1800 years ago. He was born in the splendid 
 city of Antioch, and was probably a descendant of a Hellenistic 
 Jew. As a historian he is superior to Pleroditus or Thucydides. 
 His style is a model of terseness, simplicity and elegance. This 
 we know from his two books. Unfortunately, none of his medi¬ 
 cal works remain. It is improbable, if not impossible, that a 
 man who writes so elegantly upon a subject foreign to his usual 
 mode of thought could fail to excel in a favorite theme. Writ¬ 
 ing is an art and requires much practice to secure eminence. In 
 giving a sketch of the life of our distinguished writer and author, 
 little can be said, because little is known of his medical attain¬ 
 ments ; but a man with such a mind, a man of such close and 
 accurate observation and statement, must have been a wise, pru¬ 
 dent and observant doctor. The opposite conclusion would be 
 almost absurd, especially when you couple with his mental en¬ 
 dowments high moral qualifications. 
 
 ~ There has been found lately at Thebes a splendid papyrus 
 sixty-five feet long known as the papyrus Ebers, bearing date 
 one hundred years before the birth of Moses, describing the cir¬ 
 culation of the blood, and filled with various medical recipes. 
 Our hero having lived one thousand years later, his medical 
 writings may yet be brought to light by some enterprising ar- 
 
6 
 
 chaeologist. From his own statement he must have been an early 
 convert to the Christian faith. He was at Jerusalem during the 
 crucifixion. On the day the resurrection was announced, it seems 
 he was summoned, perhaps to a patient, at Emmaus, a small 
 village near Jerusalem. How strong must have been his desire 
 to remain in the city and discuss this all-absorbing subject! Yet, 
 accompanied by a disciple named Cleopas, he was proceeding to 
 the village, when lo! he found himself in company with his risen. 
 Lord. 
 
 This doctor, as you all know, was named Lucas, or Luke. Eu¬ 
 sebius and Jerome both say he was a physician by profession. It 
 is also said he was a fine painter. 
 
 My opinion is, that Luke was diverted from his profession by 
 Providence in the latter part of his life, not only to care for the 
 frail body of Paul, but to prepare the two most important books 
 in the great new revelation of God to man. Could any doctor 
 or profession be more highly honored? 
 
 Lawyers have sound views about evidence. They want no 
 “hearsay” testimony—a man must be an “eye-witness,” must 
 know of his own knowledge, to be credible. In Luke’s first work, 
 “The Gospel,” regarded by all critics as far superior to Matthew, 
 Mark or John, see how he measures up to the legal standard as a 
 witness : “ For as much (says he) as many have taken in hand to 
 set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most 
 surely believed among us. who from the beginning , were ‘eye-wit¬ 
 nesses’ of the word, it seemed to me also, having had perfect 
 understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in 
 order, most excellent Theophilus.” 
 
 Can any lawyer refuse to hear this witness? Alas! some do. 
 Luke said he had perfect understanding of all things from the very 
 first. It is impossible for even the Greek language to express 
 more clearly and forcibly his qualifications. Moreover, all critics— 
 and they are legion—agree that Luke’s statements are generally 
 sustained by facts. They are orderly, elegant and accurate. Jose¬ 
 phus sustains him in most of his historical references even as to 
 dates. As valuable as his first work is, the second is far more so. 
 How eloquent is his introduction to the “Acts of the Apostles.” 
 “The former treatise have I made, 0 Theophilus, of all that 
 
7 
 
 Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he 
 was taken up, after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given 
 commandment unto the Apostles whom he had chosen: to whom 
 he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible 
 proofs, being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things 
 pertaining to the kingdom of God.” What a strong and com¬ 
 prehensive statement; “infallible proofs” showed himself alive 
 forty days , “ speaking” with his followers. These are strong words. 
 None but theologians can appreciate the value of Luke’s history 
 of the Primitive Church in the elucidation of its doctrines and 
 practices. 
 
 His report of the defence of Stephen before the Sanhedrim sur¬ 
 passes in eloquence and invective Cicero’s oration against Catiline. 
 Stephen was dragged before the High Court for heresy. Luke 
 says his face shone as that of an angel. I do not suppose this ra¬ 
 diance was of divine origin. Enthusiasm and eloquence do shed 
 a sort of halo about the face. It seems the burning flame within 
 the brain flashes out through the eyes and spreads ovfer the en¬ 
 tire face. I have seen something of this. All really great ora¬ 
 tors have it in some measure at times. The result of this grand 
 oration ending in burning invective was such that the mob 
 stopped their tell-tale ears and rushed upon the holy man and 
 dragged him into the street and beat out his brains. Luke says 
 these ruffians laid their clothes at the '‘feet of a young man, 
 named Saul.” This kid-gloved young man was not willing to 
 soil his hands with the dirty stones of the street, but applauded 
 the murderers. It shows what regard Luke had for the truth of 
 history to record this disgraceful act of his friend and patient. 
 Those who contend for the “ verbal” inspiration of the Scripture 
 might say that they were not Luke’s “burning” words; “Why, 
 then, are they superior to the words of Matthew? The Divine 
 fingers were on the cords of the finer instrument, hence the 
 'sweeter melody. But for Luke we would have never heard of 
 the parable of the Lost Sheep, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal 
 Son, Paul on Mar’s Hill, the history of John, Ananias and Sap- 
 phira, Cornelias, the Centurion ; Peter from prison, and Rhoda 
 at the Gate, and greater than all of the Wonders of Pentecost. 
 What an incalculable loss to the world ! It is agreed by critics 
 
8 
 
 that, in all the field of literature, nothing can be found superior 
 in “ narrative and dramatic completeness ” to Luke’s Prodigal 
 Son. 
 
 In the healing of Jarius’s daughter, twelve years old, Luke 
 says Jesus commanded so soon as she was healed that she be fed- 
 This is important, but was not mentioned by the other evange¬ 
 list. From Luke’s account he first met Paul at Troas. It seemed 
 Luke lived here at this time and subsequently. He accompanied 
 Paul and Silas to Philippi and used the pronoun “ we ” in giving 
 the account. What became of him in the melee at Phillippi I 
 cannot well imagine. Possibly being a doctor saved him, as it did 
 some of you in the late war. Luke returned to Troas and there 
 remained until Paul called again on his way to Jerusalem. Here 
 again he takes up the pronoun “we.” He never mentions his 
 own name. What a subject for a painter is Luke’s description of 
 the parting of Paul with the elders of the Church of Ephesus, 
 who had come down to the historic seashore to bid him farewell. 
 A man m$st be hard-hearted, indeed, who can read it when alone 
 with dry eyes. I can’t refrain from quoting Luke’s report of the 
 address: “ I have coveted no man’s silver or gold or apparel,” 
 and turning up his hard and wax-stained palms to his audience, 
 he continued, “ these hands, ye yourselves know, have ministered 
 to my necessities and to them that were with me. I have showed 
 you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the 
 weak. Therefore watch, and remember, by the space of three 
 years I ceased not to warn ever} 7 one night and day with 
 tears. And when he had thus spoken he kneeled down and 
 prayed with them all, and they all wept sore and fell on Paul’s 
 neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words that 
 they should see his face no more.” Could anything be more sim¬ 
 ple, natural and tragic? 
 
 In Luke’s account of Paul’s trial before Festus we have a 
 glimpse of the great military power of Rome. There must have 
 been a garrison of 30,000 in Jerusalem at that time, judging from 
 the number of Paul’s guard. Lysias seems to have taken great 
 care of Paul’s safety. Though sent out of the city at 9 o’clock 
 at night, he had for guard 400 infantry and seventy cavalry. 
 Our infantry companies average about forty men for duty, and 
 
9 
 
 this he would consider a strong guard for any one man. This 
 prodigality of the military is seen also in Luke’s very particu¬ 
 lar account of the arrest of Peter by Herod. He states that 
 sixteen men, in addition to the ordinary jail guard, were detailed 
 to keep him, and that he was bound with “two chains” to the 
 two soldiers, one on either side, in the prison. Behind this care 
 for prisoners, we see the Roman’s savage love of blood. 
 
 The more critically Luke’s account is examined the more fully 
 does it bear the marks of truth and accuracy. From the fre¬ 
 quent use of nautical phrases in the “Acts,” he either had lived 
 for some time at a seaport town (perhaps Troas,) or he learned 
 something of marine matters in his' long-delayed journey from 
 Adramyttium to Puteoli. I had the pleasure many years ago of 
 going over part of this journey described by Luke. He says 
 they landed at Puteoli and found brethren and tarried with them 
 three days. This small town still bears the same name, and is 
 very interesting to geologists, from the fact that it has been sev¬ 
 eral times subject to volcanic action. Almost the whole town, 
 which lies on a flat close to the water’s edge, was at one time sub¬ 
 merged, and remained under water for perhaps a century. So 
 that marine shells grew on or attached themselves to the marble 
 columns of some of the temples. Another upheaval came, and 
 these columns are now ten feet above the water, and retain the 
 shells high up, and completely encircling the columns. 
 
 Luke brings out in his account another historical fact in this 
 voyage to Rome, showing the strict discipline of Roman soldiery. 
 The law was, and is now, that a soldier is justified in killing a 
 prisoner who attempts to escape. But in this case no attempt 
 had been made to escape. Two hundred and seventy-six souls 
 had been in jeopardy of their lives for fourteen days. They had 
 not in that time taken one regular meal or seen the sun or stars. 
 When the ship got aground, and was about to go to pieces, and 
 -there yet seemed some hope that the passengers might escape a 
 watery grave, horrible to relate, the soldiers determined to 
 kill all the prisoners, and this would have been done but that 
 the centurion was anxious to save Paul. One would have thought 
 that the common sufferings to which this whole Company had 
 been exposed, crowded together upon this small ship, would have 
 
10 
 
 excited some feeling of pity for their fellow passengers. The 
 idea of these soldiers plunging their broad swords into the breasts 
 of these poor half-drowned men struggling in the engulfing bil¬ 
 lows is too horrible for contemplation. But to return to Luke 
 and his company at Puteoli. 
 
 If we remember what Rome was in the time of Augustus, we 
 may well imagine some of the incidents and emotions of this little 
 company—one in heavy chains, as they journeyed along the great 
 “Appian way” toward the capital of the world. This road lay 
 along a beautiful plain called the Campagnia, and it was the 
 great thoroughfare from the East. It was flanked on either 
 hand with splendid marble villas. Here emperors and kings 
 in chains, captives by thousands and hundreds of thousands, 
 gladiators and wild beasts for the Coliseum, and merchants 
 and tradesmen without numbers had travelled. I was anxious te 
 find the “Three Taverns,” where Luke says the brethren from 
 Rome came to meet Paul, and where he “thanked God and took 
 courage—an exclamation that has thrilled thousands of des¬ 
 pondent spirits; but no trace of it remains. It was forty or fifty 
 miles from Rome. Neither Luke or his companion had ever 
 seen this great capital of the world, but they had felt her power 
 in their distant homes. As they drew near the city, they saw, 
 doubtless, with gloomy surprise, on either hand, magnificent 
 mausoleums—one of marble now remaining, grander than our 
 State Capitol. God was unknown in this great city. It was 
 wholly given to debauchery and idolatry. The Salvation Army 
 to-day is far better and more widely known than was Paul’s Gos¬ 
 pel. How gloomy must Luke and his friend have felt as they 
 now enter the city, and pass, on the left hand, the towering palace 
 of the Caesars; and, on the right, the Coliseum, with its thousand 
 marble columns glistening in the sun! How closely must they 
 have been drawn together—penniless and friendless. Paul 
 was a feeble scorbutic-or scrofulous-man, full of bodily in¬ 
 firmities, weak of sight and of limb, needing Luke’s constant 
 skilled hand and kind heart to cheer him in his hour of physical 
 suffering and despondency! 
 
 It is easy to be cheerful in health, but how hard when sick! 
 Here was a great doctor and a great patient—the greatest that 
 
11 
 
 €» 
 
 has yet lived, brave as a lion, but tender as a child. “I had no 
 rest in my spirit till Timothy came,” said he, showing his de¬ 
 pendence upon friendship even with his great powers. For two 
 long years Luke clung to his feeble patient, and when all had 
 forsaken him, Paul says in one of his letters, “only Luke is with 
 me.” My doctor is faithful and true. I have no money to reward 
 him nor rich relatives to repay him, but he is always by my side. 
 Blessed man of blessed memory! The faithful doctor! Would 
 that we could know something of the conversations of these two 
 great men as they sat side by side in the gloomy prison! Bos¬ 
 well and Johnson’s was child’s talk in comparison. They may 
 tell us by and by. But to return to these travellers. Tired and 
 exhausted by the dusty journey, they soon fall asleep, and Luke 
 dreamed. He was again on his way to Borne. It is now called 
 the Holy City. It was Easter. On the left of the road a mile 
 from the city he saw a magnificent church called “ Santa Paulo ” 
 (the columns in it cost one million dollars); and presently pass¬ 
 ing it he enters the gate, over which he reads “ Porta San Paulo.” 
 Four hundred churches lit with a thousand lamps illumine the 
 streets, now crowded with ten thousand worshipers—of whom ? 
 of the God that Paul preached!! Wonderful transformation! 
 Thus has God wrought! The Coliseum is now in ruins, and the 
 savage crowd of men and women have departed never to return. 
 A hero munk, had rushed into the arena some time ago, and pro¬ 
 testing against the bloodthirsty assembly, was instantly slain. 
 But every drop of that hero’s blood was worth a hundred pre¬ 
 cious lives, for from that day the great Coliseum, seating 60,000, 
 was deserted. It is blessed to die young if we die thus. 
 
 It is said Paul’s bones lie in the great Basilica bearing his 
 name. After Paul was beheaded, Luke left Rome, and where or 
 when he died is not recorded. St. Jerome says his bones, with 
 those of St. Andrew, were transferred to Constantinople A. D. 
 350. 
 
 In this brief outline of Luke’s history I think I have es¬ 
 tablished his claim to the high qualities enumerated in the be¬ 
 ginning of this paper—to-wit, the highest intelligence, frankness, 
 open to convictions of truth, firmness in maintaining it and great 
 love of it, fidelity to friends, modesty, purity of life and the 
 
12 
 
 highest Christian benevolence. To the young men of this medi¬ 
 cal association, I say with all my heart, Go thou and do likewise ! 
 
 So much time has been spent in the discussion of Dr. Luke 
 that little is left for Jenner; but fortunately he is well known to 
 every doctor. My special object in selecting him is to incite, in 
 the young members of the profession especially, a desire to imi¬ 
 tate him. Diphtheria is destroying entire households. Doctors 
 are expected to find out its cause and to stop it. 
 
 Edward Jenner, LL. D., F. R. S. (vain and feeble titles,) was 
 born 17th May, 1749. His father was a minister, and so was his 
 mother's father. The family possessed considerable landed prop¬ 
 erty, and was of great antiquity and respectability in Glouchester 
 county, England. He entered school at eight years, and at nine 
 mastered a collection of the Dormouse. While other boys were 
 playing he searched for fossils. He studied pharmacy under Mr. 
 Ludlow, and medicine and surgery under the celebrated John 
 Hunter, and lived two years in his family. While at tea a dis¬ 
 cussion arose as to the exact locality of the intensest heat from 
 the flame of a candle, whether at the top or a little above it ! 
 Jenner thrust in his finger and decided in favor of the latter. He 
 resembled Luke in many respects:—was highly cultivated, a very 
 close observer, modest and gentle in manner, and very benevolent. 
 He was also of a very cheerful temperament, sang much, and 
 wrote poetry; would sometimes ride twenty miles through the 
 country with his friends admiring nature. He delighted to re¬ 
 ceive and also to impart knowledge. He was rather short of 
 stature and robust, but active. He dressed with neatness, disliked 
 cards on account of the time consumed and the evil tendency. 
 His cheerfulness is seen in the following letter to a friend: 
 
 “ Berkeley, Thursday Night. 
 
 “Dear Gardner: Enclosed is the medley and the song I sang 
 to the gallant bowmen, miserably scrawled; indeed, you will 
 hardly make it out. If your brain is not too much in a whirl, 
 let me remind you of the Ranunculuses, for, Mr. Nelms, did not 
 you promise me some, and some rose-trees? These are flowery sub¬ 
 jects, and I hope in harmony with your mind. 
 
 I have thrown in a few more stanzas to “Ladbroke’s Entire.” 
 
13 
 
 It is my best song. I wish I could give up, or at least suspend 
 the little acquaintance I have made with the muses Every 
 time I begin a bagatelle I almost swear it shall be the last, and 
 hardly steer clear of perjury, you see. But when I see that the 
 resolves of the greatest philosophers can be set aside by the most 
 gentle means in the world, I, who am among the lowest order, 
 should not repine at my lot. As I once told you, we are certainly 
 puppets danced about by wires that reach the skies. For my own 
 part, I rejoice at you thinking it wrong to dance without a part¬ 
 ner, and shall be among the first to congratulate you on the 
 great Master of the Ceremonies indulging you with the hand of 
 the fair one. Sincerely yours, E. Jenner.” 
 
 Here his humility is as beautiful as his cheerfulness. Little 
 did he think that instead of belonging to the “ lowest order ” of 
 philosophers he was destined to reach the top of the ladder. The 
 humble shall be exalted! I saw some years ago an estimate of 
 the number of men saved in the armies of Europe by Jenner’s 
 discovery. Hoping to get further information, I wrote to the 
 Registrar-General of Great Britain last July for the most reliable 
 figures on the subject. He informs me that after searching his 
 office he could not find what I wanted, but referred me to the 
 late Dr. Farr’s works. I wrote lately to Washington hoping to 
 get the information, but was disappointed. I am not willing to 
 trust my memory on so important a matter. I well remember 
 the figures almost surpassed belief. 
 
 Small-pox was known in China 2,000 years ago. Millions had 
 the disease, of whom one-third died. More than one-third of 
 the population of England had the disease, and one-third of the 
 inhabitants of England were pock-marked in Jenner’s day. 
 From 1866 to 1869, 140,000 died in the presidency of Bombay. 
 In three years 420,000 had the disease and recovered. From 
 1873 to 1876 700,000 died in Mexico. In the Sandwich Islands 
 it carried off 35,000. It killed 8 per cent, of the nations. From 
 this brief statement of the devastation caused by small-pox, in 
 countries where vaccination is partially known, we can form some 
 idea of its ravages in ancient times before Jenner’s discovery. It 
 
14 
 
 was a terrible Juggernaut that crushed the nations beneath its 
 cruel wheels. 
 
 I can testify from personal experience to the value of Jenner’s 
 discovery. I have been in many small-pox epidemics or en¬ 
 demics ; have sat almost the live-long night by the bedside of 
 confluent small-pox, been in pest-houses, helped to shroud the 
 dead, and been pall-bearer; but the vaccination sixty years ago 
 is good to-day, and will be good, I believe, were I Jo live to be 
 100. Some years ago I told a speculative friend that were I to 
 go to New York or London and offer a forfeit of $5,000 should 
 any child vaccinated by me ever after have small-pox, I would 
 soon make (at $5.00 each) an immense fortune (provided, of 
 course, I vaccinated all the children.) There should always, in 
 my opinion, be two vaccinations:— the first in two or three places 
 on the arm, as Jenner preferred, with pure virus (I use the lymph 
 from Mr. T. Roberts Baker, of Richmond,) and if it takes, then 
 in a month or two afterwards try the arm again in one place 
 with pure lymph or good crust. If the second vaccination takes, 
 try the third time with the same precautions as to matter, and if 
 this fails your patient is henceforth protected for life. It is very 
 rare that a third vaccination is necessary. If there should be an 
 exception, it would be one in ten thousand, a fraction too small 
 for consideration. For some time, while attending small-pox pa¬ 
 tients, I would try my arm to see if I was protected; but I ceased 
 years ago to do so, being satisfied my protection was permanent. 
 I would not be afraid to sleep between two patients with conflu¬ 
 ent small-pox. It would not be very pleasant, however. 
 
 As a healer of the body, Jenner surpassed in numbers the 
 Saviour himself and all his apostles and disciples combined. 
 (Christ was a healer of the soul.) This is not said in disparage¬ 
 ment of the “Master,” but to his honor, as he said: “Greater 
 works than these shall ye do, because I go to my Father.” In¬ 
 dependent of Jenner, the Gospel has by its “ homes for orphans” 
 and multitudinous hospitals for the sick and aged, saved many 
 more lives than did the apostles. The prayers of pious parents 
 for this wonderful and Christian son may have been an “ un¬ 
 known quantity ” in his glorious discovery. 
 
 In an article for the Virginia Medical Monthly some years ago,. 
 
15 
 
 I proposed to use small-pox patients to test the value of number¬ 
 less “ germ destroyers ” on the market, and I expect to bring the 
 subject to the attention of the next meeting of the American 
 Medical Association. The plan was this: I got a wig-maker to 
 prepare me a moustache of Chinese hair, covering the mouth and 
 nose completely, and fastened by an elastic band above the ears. 
 I made a mixture of thymol, spirits turpentine, etc., and sweet oil 
 or glycerine to prevent evaporation. I found the mixture need not 
 be applied oftener than once in forty-eight hours. This was put 
 on the moustache, and I wore,jt and slept in it without discom¬ 
 fort. 
 
 Now, the proposed plan is to take one or two persons who 
 have never been vaccinated, and who have never had small-pox, 
 and put them into a room with small-pox patients, for say an 
 hour or two, with the room filled with the vapor of the supposed 
 germicide, and see if they take the disease. I would prefer the 
 use of the moustache, because the protection I think more per¬ 
 fect. I am willing, at my own expense, to be with the persons 
 exposed and see that the plan is carried out in good faith. Iam 
 sure I can get subjects for $100 or $200 each. I would watch 
 them closely, and as soon as fever appeared, as ascertained by the 
 fever-thermometer, vaccinate in two or three places, so the pa¬ 
 tient could only have varioloid, which is a small affair. Now, 
 if this “experimentum crucis ” succeeds it may be certain we have 
 found a partial protection against the spread of all zymotic dis¬ 
 eases. The contagion of small-pox is the most intense and deadly 
 of all contagions, as is well known. I have no time here to give 
 the facts. So that so soon as diphtheria or scarlet-fever appears 
 in a family, let these moustached protectors be put on by all the 
 family and the nurses also. It would be necessary that each 
 person be fed outside of the sick room and that all the water 
 they drink be boiled. If this experiment would do no other 
 good, it would certainly kill a great number of germicides, mine 
 among the number perhaps. But something valuable would be 
 learned. 
 
 The time is coming when small pox will be banished from the 
 face of the globe. There has been no case in the Prussian army 
 for years. In Paris years ago five francs were given to each 
 
16 
 
 mother who brought her child to be vaccinated. Jenner has 
 saved to the world billions of dollars. Millions of this sum have 
 been taken out of the pockets of his own profession, who, as a 
 class, have nevertheless aided with all their might and main in 
 securing this boon to mankind. Who can number the sighs and 
 sorrows, the anxious, sleepless hours of the millions of mothers 
 that Jenner soothed and calmed into sweet, refreshing sleep! In¬ 
 fants almost always die when attacked by small-pox. Blessed 
 man of blessed memory ! How dear thou art to every human 
 heart! The world would take thee in her loving arms and shed 
 tears of joy over thy nativity ! How contemptible millions of 
 money or the applause of a generation even compared with 
 Jenner’s fame! His work shall last till time shall be no 
 more ! 
 
 I spent a winter : n Paris during the Crimean war, and wit¬ 
 nessed a military draft to fill up the depleted ranks in the French 
 army. The drawing was public. If the unfortunate lot fell to 
 the young man whose father was wealthy he bought off his son 
 by a substitute at a cost of $800 or $1,000, but if the only son of 
 a poor man he had to go. It was for five or six years’ service. 
 The depletion of the armies of Europe two centuries ago by 
 small-pox caused heavy drafts, and a small-pox panic in the army 
 must have been dreadful, but the consternation of mothers and 
 fathers of sons who were drawn to take the places of the dead 
 soldiers must have been indescribable. 
 
 Forty thousand troops are needed to fill the ranks depleted by 
 the dreadful plague, and this must be done by a new draft. The 
 mother’s heart sinks within her; songs die upon the sister’s lips. 
 The table is set, but the food is untouched. The nights are not 
 nights, for there is no sleep. In some cases starvation and the 
 poor-house are the only alternative. Dreadful dilemma ! Mul¬ 
 tiply one of these distressed households by five thousand, and you 
 have some idea of the dreadful situation. The day of parting 
 is near. Mothers’ hearts are breaking under the strain of pre¬ 
 paration for the morrow’s departure. The trunk packed for the 
 barracks had in it many more tears than trousers. The sleep of 
 the night is filled with weird and fantastic scenes of bloody bat¬ 
 tle-fields and sickness and death, and the brain is on the “ bor- 
 
17 
 
 derland of insanity.” But ere the last kiss and final embrace— 
 lo! a fleet-mounted courier is seen in the* distance, and as he ap¬ 
 proaches he holds aloft a dispatch and exclaims with joyful ac¬ 
 cent : “ The small-pox is stayed , the draft countermandedand 
 village and town and hamlet are filled with joy and gladness. 
 Thank God! the last small-pox draft has passed away never to 
 return ! 
 
 But this terrible scourge was not confined to armies or to men. 
 It swept the nations with a besom of destruction. The world 
 stood appalled at the approach of the great monster, and called 
 upon rocks and hills to hide them. 
 
 Great painters have vainly attempted to describe the fiery-fly¬ 
 ing serpents that stung the sinning Israelites—bad enough to 
 have serpents beneath the feet, but winged serpents ; their lithe and 
 tortuous bodies swooping down upon your defenceless head from 
 mid-air, is too horrible for contemplation. 
 
 But I saw a sadder sight. I saw the dreadful SMALL¬ 
 POX PROCESSION among the nations, in numbers more 
 than the three million Israelites in the wilderness. It was of 
 every nation, kindred and tongue. The cry of despair filled 
 the air. It spared no age, sex or condition. It attacked animals 
 by thousands, wild and domestic, whose cries and counter¬ 
 cries, from hill-top and valley, went up to Heaven. The men 
 and women it failed to kill, it marred in face and limb for life. 
 At its approach families fled their homes, and towns and villages, 
 depopulated, sought the mountains. Mothers themselves at¬ 
 tacked, dropped dying infants from their loving arms with wild 
 lamentations—the widow her only son. The murky air, foul 
 and fetid with pestiferous exhalations from dead and dying, 
 stifle the sufferers, like sulphurous vapors from Stygian 
 pools. 
 
 There seemed no help. The heavens were shut up and Mercy 
 had fled. The cry of the great multitude, like the “sound of 
 many waters,” rose to high heaven as the dread procession moved 
 along the dreary, dusty way. In its wake came horrible ghouls 
 and multitudinous grave-diggers, who, with mattock and spade, 
 vainly strove to cover the dead from clouds of hungry vultures 
 that hid the sun. But hold ! I see a strange and glorious sight. 
 
18 
 
 The column is halted. A man with a wondrous wand touches 
 the arms of the sufferers, and lo! disease and death depart, 
 strength comes back to the feeble limbs, sight to the eyes, and 
 joy to the heart. Oh! wondrous worker, who art thou? Whence 
 comestthou? My name is Jenner! My home, Britania! 
 
 Let me beg you, young men, of this Society—aye! of every 
 medical society—gird yourselves to throttle this young diphthe¬ 
 ritic monster ere he invade our happy homes and hearthstones.