Page:The Harveian oration - delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, London, June 29th, 1867 (IA b22315263).pdf/24

 and we delight to recognise in the labours of the physician a moral and æsthetic element improving the condition of the lower classes, as well as the general happiness of society. Knowing that in this branch, at least, there can be no disappointment and no deception, we hail with joy the wisdom and benevolence evinced, both by administrative power and by private charity, in cooperating with us.

I proceed now to inquire how far the present state of science affords us promise of success in our endeavours to elucidate those laws which govern the functions of the human frame in health, and cause the deterioration of those functions in disease.

Several new methods of investigation have been started in the last quarter of the century. Perhaps we may reckon as the most surprising and important those phenomena which have resulted from spectrum analysis. The application of this wholly new mode of inquiry to physiological topics has been forwarded by Professor Stokes, and by our energetic senior censor, Dr. Bence Jones.

There is another speculation still in pro-