Reminiscences of Parisian hospitals

GENTLEMEN, Few persons, I imagine, are disposed to deny that obvious and great advantages may be derived from a visit to one or more of the chief centres of civilisation in Europe. To become an eye -witness to the profound influence exercised over social and political life by modes of thought and action widely different from those to which we have become habituated is mental discipline of the highest order. Such experience tends to tone down rudeness, prejudice, and uncharitableness, the offspring of a too -restricted intercourse with our fellow mortals; but, above all things, it impresses upon us with a force and vividness, otherwise unobtainable, that greatest discovery of modern civilisation namely, the equality of all men. Nevertheless, while I am willing to admit all this, and much more, in favour of foreign travel, I candidly confess that, in my opinion, the professional culture resulting from attendance upon continental cliniques has been, and is, greatly over-rated. On the present occasion I shall not attempt to discuss the question, but shall merely point out that in the majority of cases imperfect knowledge of the language causes much waste of valuable time, together with erroneous interpretation of statements made by the clinical teacher, and that peculiarities in the organisation of foreigners, though real, affect the manner in which we treat our patients so immaterially that they may, without sensible error, be safely discounted by a British practitioner. A Frenchman or a French -woman and I advisedly add woman, for a reason to which I shall hereafter refer is, for all practical purposes, constituted on the same plan, is subject to the same accidents, suffers from the same diseases, and is amenable to the same treatment as one of our own countrymen. I do not ignore that fact, so properly and wisely stated by Professor Cuming in his Presidential Address to the British Medical Association, that differences exist in the proclivity of diverse races of mankind for certain specific diseases and morbid processes. My contention simply is that a continental course of medical study should be regarded as a luxury, not a necessity a luxury which, nevertheless, I would cordially recommend to every one who can command the necessary time and money. Such being my views, you will not be surprised to learn that though I have twice resided in the French Capital, during many weeks each time, yet my primary object in going there was not precisely to avail myself of the manifold facilities it offered for increasing professional knowledge. My first experience of the inner life in Parisian hospitals occurred during my honeymoon trip. On that occasion my wife and myself dwelt in the city for a period of about six weeks. Each morning, with few exceptions, I spent several hours in one or other of the great hospitals. My second visit to Paris took place about eight years later, in the course of an extensive tour through France. During our three weeks' stay in Paris I renewed my acquaintanceship with hospital physicians and cliniques. The Hotel Dieu, the Children's Hospital, the Hopital Lariboisiere, the Salpetriere, claimed the larger share of my attention, but my favourite resort was the Hotel Dieu. . .In the Hotel Dieu it was my good fortune to witness a feat in the art of percussion, which I had never previously, nor indeed have ever since, seen