Page:The Harveian oration - delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, London, on October 18, 1884 (IA b21778929).pdf/31

 but scant. Who knows whether, when another sixty-nine years have passed, "Waterloo Day" will be kept in memory of Wellington ?

No one can answer us in our questions. But this we may do, we may look to the past, and learn its lessons; we may look to humanity and read its instincts; we may read the record of this College, and know its feeling; and of this we may be sure, that-although Harvey's name may be unknown to many in the days to come-yet so long as disease lasts; so long as the movements of the blood form part of the study of the physiologist and the art of the physician; so long as any further light is to be thrown upon them, by cardiograph or sphygmograph, or by any as yet unthought-of method of investigation; so long as "the cir- culation" is a recognized fact of science, his work will live; and, although, much of it may lie hidden in the "common notions" of the future, yet the life of Harvey will be main- tained, in its integrity, by the future Fellows of this College; and the greatness of his character will be brought, again and to light by many who will, more adequately than I can do, discharge the duties of this day.

It has been my wish, in what has hitherto been said, to lay before you some explanation of the motives that bring us together now; and also of those that led this College, last year, to the grave of Harvey. But further,-

II. If we would now appreciate the work of Harvey, let us for a moment try to eliminate from our knowledge the fact of the circulation of the blood," and then imagine ourselves to be face to face with the diseases that we are daily treating; with fever, apoplexy-hæmorrhagie, embolic, or diathetic; with dropsy, with cardiac disease, recent or old, with degeneration of structure, or with functional derange-